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THE REMINISCENCES OF 

LADY 
RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 




LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 



THE REMINISCENCES OF 

LADY 
RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

BY 
MRS. GEORGE CORNWALLIS-WEST 

ITlluBtrateb 




NEW YORK 

THE CENTURY CO. 

1908 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 

Two CoDies Received 

OCT 22 1908 

Couyrifht Entry 

CLASS Q» XXc, No. 

COPY B. 



<^^ 



Copyright, 1907, 1908, by 
The Century Co. 

Pvblished October, 1908 



THE DE VINNE PRESS 









THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED 

TO MY TWO SONS 

WINSTON AND JOHN 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Chapter I. Early Recollections — Paris — Society of the 
Second Empire — Princess Metternich — The Due de 
Talleyrand — Parties at Compiegne S 

Chapter II. Paris, 1870 — Franco-German War — Na- 
poleon III AT Sedan — London and Cowes — Paris after 
THE War 25 

Chapter III. Marriage and London Life — Lord Ran- 
dolph Churchill — London in the Eighties — Rotten 
Row — Then and Now — Americans in England — Man- 
ners AND Customs 45 

Chapter IV. Blenheim — Country-house Life — Art Trea- 
sures — Distinguished Visitors 75 

Chapter V. Trip to America — The Irish Appointment — 
Life in Dublin — Hunting — The Empress Elizabeth — 
The Phcenix Park Murders — Jubilee Year 93 

Chapter VL London, 1880 — Political Life — Rise of 
Fourth Party — Mr. Balfour — Mr. Chamberlain — 
Lord Goschen — Mr. Gladstone — The Primrose League 
— Connaught Place — Professional Beauties . . . .119 

Chapter VII. Death of the Duke of Marlborough — 
Gastein — The Aston Riots — Lord Randolph's Letters 
from India — A Tiger-hunt — Benares — Lord and Lady 
DUFFERIN 149 

Chapter VIII. Lord Randolph in the Cabinet — Elec- 
tioneering at Woodstock — Colonel Burnaby— Can- 
vassing at Birmingham — Sir Henry James^ — Home Rule 
— Quren Victoria and Windsor Castle — Indian Affairs 

— Lord Randolph's Resignation l66 

vii 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Chapter IX. After Lord Randolph's Resignation — Sand- 
RiNGHAM — Women and Sport — The Comtesse de Paris — 
Lord and Lady Salisbury — The 1887 Jubilee — Mr. 
Chamberlain and the Late Duke of Devonshire — 
Hardwick Hall — A Naval Review — Lord Randolph on 
the Turf 187 

Chapter X. Russia — Life in St. Petersburg — The Czar and 
Czarina — Court Functions — Social Customs — Moscow — 
Prince Dolgorouki — Russian Ladies — The Duchess of 
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha — Lord Randolph at Messina . . . 214: 

Chapter XI. Berlin Society and Court — Bismarck — Paris 
— General Boulanger — King Milan — Bourget . . . 248 

Chapter XII. Lord Randolph's Candidature for Birming- 
ham — Visit to Hatfield — The Shah's Visit to London 
— Salons — Bayreuth — Music 273 

Chapter XIII. A Tour round the World — New York — 
The Rockies — California — Travels in Japan — Captain 
AND Mrs. Brinkley — The Empress of Japan — Nikko — 
China — Singapore — Rangoon — Return to England . . 303 

Chapter XIV. Lord and Lady Curzon — "The Anglo- 
Saxon Review" — Lord Rosebery — Mrs. Craigie — Two 
Similar Plays — Lord Morley — Lord Salisbury — Cecil 
Rhodes — Bernard Shaw — Critics of "The Anglo-Saxon" 354 

Chapter XV. Devonshire House Fancy Ball — The South 
African War — The Hospital-Ship Maine — Queen Vic- 
toria — The Red-Cross Flag — Start for the Cape . . 386 

Chapter XVI. Voyage to Cape Town — Visit to Pieter- 
maritzburg — Durban — Visits to Chieveley Camp and 
Ladysmith — Lord Roberts — Return to England . . .416 

APPENDIX. Containing Translations of French Let- 
ters 467 



vni 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Lady Randolph Churchill Frontispiece 

From a charcoal sketch by John S. Sargent 

PAGE 

The Misses Jerome as children 8 

From a photograph by Brady 

Miss Jennie Jerome, as a vivandiere, at ten years of age . . IS 
Mrs. Leonard Jerome, mother of Lady Randolph Churchill . 21 

From a photograph by W. Kurtz 

Due de Persigny 29 

Leonard Jerome , 42' 

Lord Randolph Churchill in 1874 48 

From a photograph by Alexander Bassano 

Lady Randolph Churchill 57 

From a photograph by Sarony 

His Grace, John, First Duke of Marlborough 64 

After the portrait by Godfrey Kneller 

Her Grace, Sarah Jennings, First Duchess of Marlborough . . 67 

After the portrait by Godfrey Kneller 



George, Fourth Duke of Marlborough, and his family .... 72 

From an engraving of the picture painted at Blenheim in 1777 by 
Sir Joshua Reynolds 

View of Blenheim Palace 79 

Gateway at Blenheim 79 

The entrance hall, Blenheim 83 

His Grace, George Charles, Seventh Duke of Marlborough . . 88 

From a photograph by Chancellor, Dublin 

ix 



^ 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Her Grace, Frances Anne, Duchess of Marlborough . . . , 91 



PAGE 



Dublin Castle, the official residence of the Lords Lieutenant . . 96 

Drawn by Joseph Pennell 

Lady Randolph Churchill in riding costume 101 ^ 

The Marquis of Londonderry 108 "^ 

From the painting by John S. Sargent at Londonderry House, London 

The Marchioness of Londonderry 113 

From a photograph by Lafayette, Ltd. 

The Ladies' Gallery in the House of Commons 121 

Drawn by Andre Castaigne 

Sir Charles Dilke 129 

From a photograph by W. & D. Downey, London 

Sir William Harcourt 129 -' 

From a photograph by Elliott & Fry 

Joseph Chamberlain 129 ' 

From a photograph by Elliott & Fry 

"The Fourth Party" in the House of Commons 134 

From a lithograph published in " Vanity Fair " 

Arthur James Balfour 141 

From a photograph by W. & D. Downey, London 

Georgiana, Countess of Dudley 146 

From a photograph by Alexander Bassano 

The bridge at Blenheim 155 

From a picture by Turner 



Lord Randolph Churchill 160 

From a photograph by J. Russell & Sons 

Ready for an electioneering tour 169 

Sandringham 186 

From a photograph by F. Ralph 

Study by George Frederick Watts for a portrait of King 
Edward VII, when Prince of Wales 190 

By permission of Frederick Hollyer 

Isabelle, Comtesse de Paris 195 

A distinguished group at Sandringham 199 

X 



/ 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 



The Marquis of Hartington, late Duke of Devonshire . , . 208 

From a photograph by Alexander Bassano 

The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg 221 

Grand Duke Serge — The Grand Duchess Serge 227 

Grand Duke Alexander, afterward Alexander III, and the 
Princess Dagmar, now Dowager Empress of Russia . . . 233 

The Kremlin, Moscow 240 

Count von Moltke 253 

From a photograph by F. C. Schaarwachter 

Count Otto von Bismarck 260 

M. de Breteuil 267 

From a photograph by Nadar 

General Georges-Ernest-Jean-Marie Boulanger 267 

From a photograph by Benque. Reproduction authorized by Pirou 

Lady de Grey 276 

From a photograph by W. & D. Downey, London 

Baron Maurice von Hirsch — Colonel North 281 

The Wagner Theater at Bayreuth 290 

Jean de Reszke — Edouard de Reszke 293 

From photographs by Benque 

Franz Liszt 299 

From a photograph by Nadar 

Ignace Paderewski 209 

Drawn by Irving Wiles 

Sir Arthur Sullivan 299 

From a photograph by Chancellor, Dublin 

Lady Randolph Churchill 310 

From a photograph by Taber, San Francisco 

Traveling in a straw chair 318 

Lord Curzon of Kedleston 327 

From a photograph by Elliott & Fry 

xi 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 



The Yomeimon Gate at Nikko 338 

From a stereograph, copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York 

Schwe Dagon Pagoda— Government House, Singapore . . . 347 

Farewell dinner to Lord and Lady Curzon, on their departure 
for India 355 

From a photograph by Fradelle & Young 

Lady Curzon of Kedleston 360 

From a photograph by Baron de Meyer 

Mrs. Craigie (John Oliver Hobbes) S69 

From a photograph by Elliott & Fry 

The Right Hon. Cecil Rhodes and his house at Cape Town . . 378 

From a sketch by the Duchess of Rutland and a photograph 

Lady Randolph Churchill, as the Byzantine Empress Theodora, 

at the Devonshire house fancy-dress ball 389 

From a photograph by Lafayette, Ltd. 

The Duchess of Somerset, as she appeared at the Devonshire 

house fancy-dress ball 393 

After a photogravure from the painting by Sir E. J. Poynter, published by 
Walker & Boutall 

Executive Committee of the Hospital-ship Maine 397 

From a photograph by Lafayette, Ltd. 

Some of the staff of the American Hospital-ship Maine . . . 405 
The American Hospital-ship Maine in Durban Harbor . . .412 

From a photograph by the Bower Studio, Durban, South Africa 

Field-Marshal Lord Roberts inspecting the Maine at Cape Town 422 

Lady Randolph Churchill and her son, Mr. John Churchill, on 
board the Hospital-ship Maine 425 

From a photograph by the Bower Studio, Durban, South Africa 

His Excellency, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, Governor of 
Natal in 1900 436 

From a photograph by Robertson, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa 

Gun at Chieveley Camp named after Lady Randolph Churchill 439 

The Hospital-ship Maine with the Combined British Channel 
and Mediterranean Squadrons, oif Nauplia, Greece .... 455 

Picture, copyright by the "Graphic," October 4, 1903 

Salisbury Hall, St. Albans (present home of the writer) . . 46l 

xii 



PREFACE TO BOOK 

In studying the prefaces to various contemporary 
Memoirs, I find that most of them are apologetic in 
tone, and I ask myself . . . why? If a book needs an 
apology ought it to be written ? 

Having been favored by Providence with delightful 
and absorbing experiences, having traveled all over the 
world, and met many of the most distinguished people 
of my generation, why should I not record all that I can 
about them, and about the stirring things I have seen, 
or shared in doing ? 

I have done so. But there may be some to whom these 
Reminiscences will be interesting chiefly in virtue of 
what is left unsaid. 

J. C. W. 

Salisbury Hall, St. Albans, England, 1908 



REMINISCENCES OF 
LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 



REMINISCENCES OF 
LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 



CHAPTER I 

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS— PARIS 1869 

MY father was for three years American Consul 
at Trieste, and Italy thus colored my first im- 
pression of life, although I was born in Brook- 
lyn, in the State of New York. Italian skies gave me 
my love of heat and of the sun, and a smiling, dark- 
eyed peasant nurse tuned my baby ears to the harmony 
of the most melodious of all languages. Until the age 
of six I spoke hardly anything but Italian. My father, 
Leonard Jerome, a Princeton graduate and the most 
enterprising of nine brothers, soon wearied of the tran- 
quil life of a Mediterranean town, and returned to 
America with my mother and three small children, all 
girls, one of whom died a year or two later. On our 
journey back I remember how, as we crossed the Mont 
Cenis in a vettura, the deep snow filled my childish mind 
with awe and astonishment. But this was a sight I was 
soon to become familiar with in my own country. 

3 



REMINISCENCES OF 

For four or five years my family lived in New York, 
where my father, in making and unmaking several for- 
tunes, and at one time virtually possessing the whole of 
the Pacific Mail Line, found plenty of scope for his 
ambitions and his active brain. For a short period he 
was co-editor of the "New York Times" with Mr. Henry 
Raymond. He founded Jerome Park and the Coney 
Island Jockey Club, the first of the two great American 
race-courses, and with his friend August Belmont made 
good his claim to being called "the father of the Ameri- 
can turf." 

Then came the period of the Civil War. That great 
struggle, which for four years devastated my country 
and sacrificed a million men in the cause of freedom, 
passed our nursery unmolested, and I remember nothing 
about it except that every little Southerner I met at 
dancing classes was a "wicked rebel," to be pinched, if 
possible; while the words of the bitter parody which we 
used to sing to the tune of "Maryland, My Maryland" 
come back to me to-day. 

Resides the 4th of July celebrations of fire-crackers, 
and memories of burnt fingers, and St. Patrick's Day 
processions when the streets were filled yearly with an 
ever-increasing crowd of Paddies and Biddies, one vivid 
recollection of an important event strikes across my 
mind. I remember our house in Madison Square draped 
from top to bottom in white and black, and the whole of 
New York looking like one gigantic mausoleum. It 
was the funeral of President Lincoln. 

Next came a few uneventful years of lessons, with 
matinees at the opera "to improve our minds," sleighing 
and skating for pleasure, and on red-letter days a drive 

4 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

to Jerome Park on my father's coach, where, tiny mite 
that I was, I always occupied the seat of honor next him. 
Sometimes from afar I could see the blue and white of 
his racing colors come in first, which was a great excite- 
ment. On one occasion I was hoisted upon the back of 
his most famous race-horse— the celebrated "Ken- 
tucky," whose sire "Lexington" and dam "Magnolia" 
by "Glencoe," were of the best blood in England. Ken- 
tucky was never beaten, but came to an untimely end, 
being burned to death on his way to California, my fa- 
ther having sold him for the then fabulous sum of 
$40,000. Unlike most American children, we were sel- 
dom permitted to go to boy and girl dances, but a photo- 
graph I have of myself at the age of ten, dressed as a 
vivandiere, reminds me of a fancy ball given by Mr. 
Belmont to which I was allowed to go. For days I did 
not sleep with the excitement of anticipation, but on the 
eventful night I was found in a flood of tears, the ex- 
planation being that I did not look "at all as I thought I 
was going to" — a situation which, alas! has often re- 
peated itself. 

We spent several delightful summers at Newport, 
where my father had built a charming villa more in ac- 
cordance with one's idea of a seaside residence than the 
gorgeous white marble palaces which are the fashion 
nowadays. There we were allowed to run wild and be as 
grubby and happy as children ought to be. 

Mrs. Ronalds, who was as gifted as she was lovely, 
and shared with Mrs. Ritchie (now Mrs. Adair) the 
reputation of being the reigning beauty, gave me a spe- 
cies of small dog-cart and two donkeys which rejoiced 
in the names of "WiUie" and "Wooshey." With the 

5 



REMINISCENCES OF 

cart filled with half a dozen children, and urged by a 
stick, at the end of which was "the business end of a tin 
tack," christened the "Persuader," Willie and Wooshey 
were gently made to tear up and down Bellevue Avenue 
at the risk of our necks and every one else's. The cart 
and its occupants soon became a terror to the smart folk 
in their silks and feathers who drove majestically by. 
These were delightful days. 

In 1867, owing to my mother having become ill, we 
sailed for Europe in order that she might consult the 
celebrated American physician Dr. Sims, in Paris. I 
little thought I was fated not to return to my native land 
until 1876, when I had already been married two years. 
Finding that the educational advantages were greater in 
Paris than in New York, we decided to remain there. 
On regaining her health, my mother went out a great 
deal in French society, where her beauty attracted much 
attention, la belle Americaine at that time having all the 
charm of novelty. 

The last flicker of the candle, the last flame of the dying 
fire, is ever the brightest; and so it was with Paris in 
1869. 

Never had the Empire seemed more assured, the 
court more brilliant, the fetes more gorgeous. The 
light-hearted Parisians reveled in the daily sights of 
royal processions and cavalcades. The Bois de Bou- 
logne and the Champs Elysees, where we were living at 
that time, were crowded with splendid equipages. I 
remember often seeing the Empress Eugenie, then the 
handsomest woman in Europe, driving in her daumont, 
the green and gold liveries of the postilions and out- 

6 
















i 




f '/^i 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

riders making a brave show. Nor were four horses and 
postihons the privilege of royalty alone. Princess Met- 
ternich, the wife of the Austrian Ambassador, often 
went out in similar style. The beautiful Madame de 
Canisy, and the Duchesse de Mouchy, the Empress's 
greatest and perhaps only intimate friend, and a host of 
court ladies habitually drove out in great state, and 
helped by the magnificence of their appearance to give 
to Paris that air of elegance and distinction which 
could neither be surpassed nor emulated by any other 
capital in Europe. Even among those who had fore- 
bodings of the gathering storm, no one had descried the 
black shadow cast on the blue sky by the approaching 
figure of Bellona, her fierce eyes fixed on happy, smil- 
ing, tranquil France. 

Although I was not old enough to go into society, 
being still troubled with governesses, the echoes of the 
Tuileries fetes and of the gay social life of Paris were 
heard in our house, and eagerly listened to by my cu- 
rious and greedy ears. The Emperor Napoleon III was 
credited with a great liking for Americans, and he cer- 
tainly showed his partiality by having many invited to 
the official festivities. Among them was my eldest sis- 
ter, who made her debut at one of the Tuileries balls. 
Notwithstanding her awe at the magnificence of the 
palace, and her confusion at having to walk up the 
grand staircase between the Cent- Gardes in her first low 
frock, she was able to give me afterward a graphic de- 
scription of the scene, which made a deep impression on 
me. Unlike the procedure at the Court of St. James, 
no procession was formed. When the company was 
assembled, the doors were flung open, and ''Sa Majeste 

9 



REMINISCENCES OF 

VEmpereur" was announced. Then after a pause, "Sa 
Majeste rimperatricer who that evening appeared a 
resplendent figure in green velvet, with a crown of eme- 
ralds and diamonds, spiked Mnih pearls, on her small and 
beautifully shaped head. The Emperor and Empress 
walked round the circle of courtesying and bowing guests, 
addressing a few words here and there, and then pro- 
ceeded to the ball-room. Besides the great functions at 
the palace, smaller and more informal dances were given. 
These were the ijetits Lundis, which had been insti- 
tuted ten years before, and at which the Prince Imperial, 
although only a boy, was allowed to appear and amuse 
himself, perhaps with a view to forming his manners, 
and giving him that ease in society in which foreign roy- 
alties excel. All the most beautiful and charming women 
of Paris, including many attractive foreigners, were 
asked. Court ceremonial and etiquette were dispensed 
with, which added greatly to the enjoyment of the eve- 
ning. After one of these petits Lundis, which had been 
unusually animated (owing to its being Twelfth Night, 
when a magnificent "Gateau des Rois," with presents 
for the ladies, had been the event of the evening). 
Count Hatzf eldt, late German Ambassador to England, 
who was then Secretary to the Embassy in Paris, and a 
frequenter of our salon, prophetically sounded the first 
note of trouble to come. "I never saw their Majesties in 
better spirits than they were last night," he remarked, 
"and God knows where they will be next year at this 
time." In the light of subsequent events, we were much 
impressed by his having said this, although I cannot be- 
lieve that he really knew much. 

The celebrated beauties, most of them in the zenith of 

10 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

their fame, with whom the Empress loved to surround 
herself, and whose portraits adorned the walls of her 
boudoir in the Tuileries, were conspicuous at these small 
dances. The Marquise de Gallif et, wife of the General, 
and her sister Madame Cordier, formerly Mesdemoi- 
selles Lafitte, one fair, the other dark, would sometimes 
dress alike, making a lovely contrast. The Comtesse de 
Pourtales, whose bewitching face and fascinating man- 
ner won all hearts, also concerned herself so seriously 
with politics that she became the social link between the 
two camps of Legitimists and Bonapartists. Comte de 
Pourtales, being of Swiss origin, had no compunction in 
becoming an Imperialist, and they were great favorites 
at the Tuileries. Madame de Pourtales later showed her 
gratitude and devotion to the fallen monarchs by inter- 
ceding for them with M. Thiers for the restoration of 
some of their property. Having visited them at Chisel- 
hurst in the dark year of 1873, and realizing their pov- 
erty, which was known to few, Madame de Pourtales 
never rested till she had succeeded in her task. 

As a girl I remember seeing her at the opera, a vision 
of beauty in a cloud of tulle, with her soft brown hair, 
lovely, expressive eyes, and radiant smile. Later, when 
as a married woman I had the pleasure of knowing her, 
I always found a pleasant welcome at her house in the 
rue Tronchet, on my visits to Paris ; and from the charm 
of her beauty and personality, and the vivacity of her 
conversation, could easily understand the sway she held 
over society. To this day, although a grandmother of 
many years' standing, she is still a beautiful woman, and 
no Frenchman can speak of ''La belle Melanie'' without 
saying, ''Elle est etonnante." For so many years did 

11 



REMINISCENCES OF 

these beautiful women reign supreme that envious rivals 
christened them ''La vieille Garde/' perverting the old 
saying with malicious aptness. 

At this period Princesse Mathilde, who had a fine 
house in the rue de Courcelles, used to give cotillions, at 
which the colletmonte and aristocratic families made 
their appearance in greater numbers than at the Tui- 
leries : the noble f aubom'g, satisfied that her mother was 
a Princess of Wiirtemberg, while her uncle was the 
Czar Nicholas I, did not look upon her as a parvenu and 
an interloper. 

Princesse Mathilde, undoubtedly the most brilliant 
and intelligent woman of the Second Empire, had done 
the honors at the Elysee, in 1848, for her cousin Louis 
Napoleon, then President of the Republic. Her mar- 
riage to Count Anatole DemidofF, Prince of San Do- 
nato, had not been a success as every one knows, and 
after some scenes of great violence on his part, she sepa- 
rated from him, supported in this step by her uncle 
Nicholas I, who also forced his sub j ect Count Demidoff 
to give her a large income, which it is said amounted in 
the course of sixty years to twelve million francs. 

The Princess loved to surround herself with all those 
possessing wit or talent, and her salon had a world-wide 
reputation, comparing easily with the famous salons of 
the eighteenth century, with the added attraction and 
glamour of royalty and great wealth. That these 
sacred portals were opened for anything so frivolous as 
a dance was to please the Prince Imperial and the Em- 
press's nieces, the Mesdemoiselles d'Albe. It was there 
that some of the young and pretty Americans in Paris, 
including my sister, now Mrs. Moreton Frewen, had 

12 




.MISS JhNNlt JURUML. AS A \1\' AN HI i: Rlf, AT TKN YEARS OF AGE 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

the privilege of meeting such men as Dumas, Sardou, 
Theophile Gautier, Baudry, and many other habitues 
of the house. 

Among the celebrated women of Eugenie's circle none 
took so prominent a place as Princess Pauline Metter- 
nich, the wife of the Austrian Ambassador. Though she 
was only twenty-two when she first arrived in Paris in 
1860, her wit, vivacity, and extraordinary "chic" (the 
only word which really describes her) placed her at once 
among the leaders of what was undoubtedly the most 
brilliant court in Europe. Her life is too well known 
for me to dilate on it, her repartees and bon mots 
were on every one's lips, her dresses were the models all 
tried to copy, and her company was eagerly sought for 
by the greatest in the land. Apart from other interests, 
her predilection for the stage was perhaps her ruling 
passion. She was never so happy as when organizing 
theatricals, and she was the ruling spirit of all the enter- 
tainments of that kind given at Compiegne, where, 
whether as a black devil dancing in a ballet before the 
whole court, or dressed as a coachman singing sprightly 
verses, she was the cynosure of all eyes. Her success 
was enhanced by the fact that Octave Feuillet wrote the 
verses, while Viollet-le-Duc was stage-manager. Not- 
withstanding these frivolities. Princess Metternich al- 
ways remained grande dame. After the fall of the Em- 
pire, on returning to Vienna, she took her legitimate 
place at court, where she soon gained the same social 
ascendancy that she had held for ten years in the French 
capital. A real patron of art and music, it was owing 
entirely to her influence, as is well known, that "Tann- 
hauser" was given in Paris in 1861, although it was a 

15 



REMINISCENCES OF 

gigantic failure. The French not having aspired in 
those days to anything so complex as Wagner, it must 
be put down to her credit that she understood and appre- 
ciated him twenty years before they did/ Smetana's 
"Verkaufte Braut," given in London for the first time 
in 1907, was brought out in Vienna some years ago 
under the auspices of Princess Metternich. 

In 1888 the Viennese wrote a couplet in her honor 
which runs : 

Es giebt nur a Kaiserstadt; 

Es giebt nur a Wien ; 

Es giebt nur a Fiirstin : 

Es is die Metternich Paulin. 

The following letter, which I received from her apro- 
pos of the "Puppenfee," which I wanted to give In Lon- 
don, proves what a born stage-manager she was. Her 
directions are most clear and lucid, and show how great 
an interest she still takes in theatrical matters : 



LETTER FROM PRINCESSE METTERNICH 

ViENNE, le 8 Juin, 1891. 
Chere Lady Randolph, 

Je re9ois a I'instant la lettre dans laquelle vous me faites part 
de votre desir de representer la pantomime ballet "Puppenfee" 
pour une ceuvre de charite mondaine. J'en suis tres flattee car 
c'est nous qui en sommes les auteurs, la "Puppenfee" ayant ete 
donnee pour la premiere fois chez nous a la campagne en 
Bolieme. Je vais demander au maitre de ballet de I'Opera de 
m'envoyer le libretto avec toutes les indications voulues. Quant 
^See "Les Femmes du Second Empire," by F. Loliee. 

16 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

aux costumes rien de plus simple, car vous pouvez prendre tout 
ce que vous voulez. II faudra seulement pour les pas seuls, avoir 
une Japonaise, une Espagnole, une Styrienne ou Tyrolienne, une 
Chinoise et un bebe, de ceux qui disent "Papa" et "Maman." 
Pour le reste, laissez libre cours a votre fantaisie. Le reveil des 
poupees s'opere au coup de minuit lorsque le magasin est ferme, 
et quand, reveillee par le sabbat, la marchande arrive, elle s'eva- 
nouit de frayeur, ayant ete entrainee dans les rondes folles des 
poupees devenues vivantes. En revenant de son evanouissement 
elle trouve tout rentre en bon ordre, et les poupees sont re- 
devenues immobiles. Albrs la marchande s'avance vers la rampe 
et fait comprendre par gestes aux spectateurs qu'elle a ete 
evidemment le j ouet d'un reve ! 

Le sujet est bien simple, comme vous voyez, et il n'a pas fallu 
beaucoup d'imagination pour le trouver ! 

Recevez, chere Lady Randolph, I'assurance de mes sentiments 

les meilleurs et les plus aff ectueux. 

P. Metternich. 



Foremost among the social lights of the Second Em- 
pire was Boson de Talleyrand Perigord — Prince de 
Sagan — now Due de Talleyrand. With the Due de 
Morny and the celebrated Count Gramont-Caderousse, 
he kept Paris society in a ferment of amazement and 
excitement. His name, his fetes, and his extravagances 
were on all lips. When I first met the Prince after the 
war, in 1872, he must have been about forty-five. He 
was a remarkable-looking man, with snow-white, curly 
hair, which stood out like a lion's mane, and through 
which he had a habit of passing his fingers. With a well 
set-up figure, irreproachable clothes, a white carnation 
in his buttonhole, and an eye-glass to which was at- 
tached a black moire ribbon which became the fashion, 

17 



REMINISCENCES OF 

he was undoubtedly the ideal Parisian beau, le dernier 
cri. As such he was caricatured in the press and on the 
stage ad infinitum. A kindly man, he deserved a better 
fate than was meted out to him in his domestic circle, 
where his differences with the Princess were for many 
years public property. A descendant of the famous 
diplomat, the Marquis de Talleyrand, he was heir to a 
dukedom and vast estates in Germany as well as in 
France, where he owned the historical Chateau de 
Valan^ay on the Loire. Although he did not succeed to 
his estates until stricken in years and in health, he had 
already anticipated most of his inheritance, and had dis- 
sipated enormous sums. 

He was the originator of the Auteuil race-course and 
the Cercle de la rue Royale. He was a patron of the 
drama, and many artists owed their success to his timely 
aid. If he had faults, he was, I fancy, as much sinned 
against as sinning. Struck down with an attack of 
paralysis, he was taken by the irony of fate to his wife's 
house, where he had not lived for many years and which 
he had sworn never to re-enter. He is still living there, 
the Princess having died a few years ago. Many a pleas- 
ant party did he organize for my sister and me. I also 
remember a picnic to St. Germain when, as Mr. James 
Gordon Bennett was driving us back on his coach, we 
came to grief near the Arc de Triomphe and were nearly 
killed. I used sometimes to ride with my father and the 
Prince in the Bois. Mounted on a seemingly fiery chest- 
nut, I fancied myself vastly. 

In the month of November, 1869, the Empress went 
to Egypt to open the Suez Canal ; the Emperor for state 
reasons remained in France. The imperial progress 

18 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

created the greatest enthusiasm. Her Majesty left Port 
Said for IsmaiHa on board the Aigle, which had been 
sumptuously fitted up for her ; sixty vessels followed in 
the wake. Cleopatra sailing up the "river of Cydnus" to 
meet Mark Antony in all the color and glory of Eastern 
pomp paled in comparison, while "for her own person" 
Eugenie, like Cleopatra, "beggared all description." 
The most lavish expenditm-e and extraordinary display 
marked every step. All vied in doing honor to the bril- 
liant and beautiful Empress who, imposing and serene, 
was then poised — for a final moment, had she but known 
it — at the summit of her fortune. 

The late Due d'Albe, her favorite nephew, was in her 
suite, and related to me a few years ago the details of 
this wonderful journey. The Empress, as she stepped 
off the vessel on reaching Ismailia, found all the car- 
riages awaiting her painted in the imperial colors, with 
green and gold liveries and the gold bees ; and even her 
villa there was furnished in facsimile of her rooms 
at the Tuileries, that she might feel "at home." I be- 
lieve that the same compliment was paid to Queen Vic- 
toria when she and the Prince Consort visited the French 
court in 1855 for the Exhibition. 

Verdi composed "Aida" for the opening of the Canal, 
and in honor of the Empress, who was present at the first 
performance in Cairo. 

During her absence in Egypt, the Emperor gave what 
was fated to be the last of his famous parties, or series as 
they were called, at Compiegne, at which Princesse Ma- 
thilde helped to do the honors. It was much smaller than 
usual, on account of the Emperor's bad health and poli- 
tical worries. Among those invited were my mother and 

19 



REMINISCENCES OF 

sister. Hunting, shooting, and dancing were some of 
the amusements provided. There was a grande chasse^ 
or stag hunt, on the first day, at which all the guests ap- 
peared, riding or driving. Those who hunted wore the 
royal colors, the men in green coats and the gold hunt 
buttons, the ladies in flowing green habits and three-cor- 
nered hats. The stag on this occasion was brought to 
bay in a lake, the Prince Imperial giving him the coup 
de grace. At night there was a curee auoc flambeaux in 
the courtyard of the chateau, the whole party assembling 
on the balconies in the glare of the innumerable torches. 
The carcass of the deer lay in the center, covered with its 
skin; the hallali was sounded; at a signal the hounds 
were unleashed, and in a moment every vestige of the 
stag had disappeared. 

The next day an expedition was organized to see the 
Chateau de Pierref onds, a distance of nine or ten miles : 
the party went in chars-a-hancs under the guidance of 
M. Viollet-le-Duc, the celebrated architect, who had 
just completed its restoration. Compiegne, where 
Joan of Arc was taken prisoner, and which was rebuilt 
by Louis XV and decorated by Napoleon I, seemed 
modern in comparison with this huge castle, with its bat- 
tlemented walls and medieval arrangements. 

After a tour of inspection mider the guidance of 
Viollet-le-Duc, the day ended with tea in the beautiful 
armory of the castle from which the Emperor presented 
each lady with a souvenir in the shape of a small weapon. 

One day there was a Cabinet Council, and the guests 
were exhorted to be discreet in their amusements and not 
disturb his Majesty. Who knows what fateful ques- 
tions were discussed? Times were disquieting, and the 

20 




MRS. LEONARD JEROME, MOTHER OF 
LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

pourparlers going on with Prussia were anything but 
pleasant. The Government was in direct conflict with 
the Opposition. Marechal Bazaine, who had come from 
Paris for this Council, had a few weeks previously made 
great military preparations for preventing the Opposi- 
tion members from meeting to fix a date other than that 
settled by the Government for the assembling of the 
Chambers. The Emperor himself, anticipating trouble, 
had gone to Paris. Fortunately all passed off quietly, 
and the troops were not called out. But it gives one an 
idea of the volcano on which the Empire and the new 
Ollivier JNIinistry were living. At this visit to Compiegne 
Bazaine was accompanied by his wife, a Mexican lady, 
who created a sensation by appearing in a gown of vivid 
scarlet with gloves to match. This was thought tres 
Anglais, as no one in France wore such brilliant colors. 

Every night from sixty to a hundred guests sat down 
to dinner, the Emperor never permitting it to last more 
than three quarters of an hour. Sometimes magnificent 
gold plate adorned the table, sometimes precious biscuit 
de Sevres. Before dinner the company assembled in two 
long lines. The Emperor took in Princesse Mathilde, 
sitting opposite her at the center of the table, a few seats 
of honor being reserved on each side, while the rest 
placed themselves as they wished, the ladies choosing the 
gentlemen to take them in, according to the custom of 
Compiegne. After dinner there was dancing, in which 
the Prince Imperial, then only thirteen, was allowed to 
join till ten o'clock, when his tutor would approach him, 
saying, "Monseigncur, voire chapeau/' which meant 
going to bed. At the close of the visit there was a grand 
lottery in which all tickets were prizes. The Emperor 
' 23 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

stood near two great urns from which the numbers were 
drawn, and as each guest received one he wished him 
"Bonne chance/' Some little juggling must have 
gone on, for my mother and the American minister, Mr. 
Washburne, won valuable pieces of Sevres china, where- 
as the presents for the younger people were less costly. 
My sister, much to my envy, was given an inkstand 
shaped like a knotted handkerchief filled with napoleons, 
upon which the Emperor remarked, '^Mademoiselle^ 
n'oubliez pas les Napoleons!" 



24 



CHAPTER II 

PARIS, 1870 — FRANCO-GERMAN WAR 

IN the spring of 1870 Paris was full of unrest and 
rumors of war. Prussia on several occasions had 
been more than aggressive and had heaped insults 
on France. Prevost Paradol, the brilliant journalist and 
writer, whose daughter was a playfellow of mine, de- 
scribed the two countries as "running on the same lines, 
collision being inevitable." It was said that the Em- 
peror was credulous and that Bismarck was unscrupu- 
lous; the latter wanted war, and what he wished gen- 
erally happened. In Prussia also disturbing rumors had 
been rife for some time ; as an instance of this a story is 
told of General Blumenthal shooting in Norfolk in 1869 
with Lord Albemarle, who remarked that he would like 
to see the Prussian manoeuvers. "It is not necessary to 
come to Prussia," said the General; "we v/ill have a re- 
view for you in the Champ-de-Mars." 

The Hohenzollern incident was the last straw, and it 
provoked France beyond endurance. Prince Leopold of 
Hohenzollern, a tool of Bismarck, became a candidate 
for the throne of Spain. It was looked upon as "^^une 
sanglante injure pour VEmpereur Napoleon." Excited 
by the press, the whole country clamored for war. Ac- 
cording to history, peace might have been maintained 
had it not been for the rashness and violence of the Due 

25 



REMINISCENCES OF 

de Gramont, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the 
ineptitude and blunders of M. Emile Ollivier, whose 
famous phrase, that he took upon himself and his col- 
leagues the responsibility of the war d'un coeur leger, 
will ever be associated with his memory. Conciliation 
having been rendered impossible, on the 19th of July, 
1870, war was declared, to the sorrow of the Emperor, 
who, very ill at the time and on the eve of a serious opera- 
tion, had done all he could to avert it. I shall never for- 
get the excitement. Crowds paraded the streets with 
cries of "A Berlin !" The war, the war — there was no 
other topic. Utter strangers would stop to discuss the 
situation. The confidence in the generals and the army 
was immense. It was to be one long but straight march 
to Berlin; not a soul doubted it. Of course our sym- 
pathies were French, and I felt that I hated "Ces sales 
Prussiens" as much as did any of the inliabitants of the 
doomed city. 

Exciting incidents crowded on us. One day we saw 
Capoul the celebrated tenor, and Marie Sass of the 
Opera, on being recognized in an omnibus, made to 
stand on the top and sing the "Marseillaise," an ever- 
growing crowd joining in the chorus. One night we 
went to the opera in walking dresses, with our hats in 
our hands, in case there was any trouble and we might 
have to walk home, which proved to be the case. It was 
a strange performance, as the singers were constantly 
being interrupted and made to sing patriotic songs. We 
found the greatest difficulty in getting home, owing to 
the streets being filled with huge crowds marching to the 
cry of ''des chassepots, des chassejjots/^ Poor fellows, 
they soon had them, and all the fighting they wanted. 

26 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

July and August were anxious months for us. With 
keen interest we followed with maps and flags the in- 
cidents of the war. One day the Emperor was leaving 
Paris for Metz to join his army of 380,000 men, which, 
to his dismay, proved to muster only 220,000 badly 
equipped troops. Another day came; it was the details 
of Saarbriick and the hapteme de feu of the Prince 
Imperial; or, again, of Marechal Leboeuf's resignation 
and Marechal Bazaine being made Generalissimo, which, 
according to JNI. Barthelemy Saint-Hilaire, would give 
confidence to the country. But, alas ! news of fresh de- 
feats was continuous; the rapidity with which disaster 
after disaster befell the French army seemed incredible. 

Soon our maps of France were bristling with the 
hated Prussian flag, and one heard nothing but cries of 
''Nous sommes trahis/' On one or two occasions great 
victories were bruited about; in the twinkling of an eye 
the whole city would be decorated, flags flying from 
every window, and signs of rejoicing everywhere, only 
to be taken in a few hours later, and blinds pulled down, 
as the truth filtered out, and the glorious victory became 
a ghastly defeat, such as Weissemburg, Worth, or 
Gravelotte, with more cries of betrayal from the be- 
wildered Parisians. 

As the war advanced, all the foreigners who could 
leave Paris departed. We were advised to go, but un- 
fortunately my mother was laid up with a very severe 
sprain, and could not put her foot to the ground, and so 
we tarried. Besides, we were incredulous of the Prus- 
sians ever reaching Paris, and every day we put off our 
departure. Our house became the rendezvous of the few 
of our French friends who had not gone to the front. 

27 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Our principal visitor was the Due de Persigny, who, 
with his family, had been on intimate relations with us 
for some years. Persigny, a short, dapper-looking little 
man with a piercing eye and a pleasant manner, was 
Louis Napoleon's bosom friend and companion, Victor 
Fialin. He shared his fortunes at Strasburg in 1836 
and at Boulogne in 1840. Imprisoned for a time at 
Doullens, when released he took an important part in 
the Coup d'Etat. He reaped the benefit of his devotion 
to the Bonapartist cause when Louis Napoleon became 
Emperor. His INIajesty, when describing his Ministry 
one day, said laughingly: "How can you expect my 
government to get on? The Empress is a Legitmiist; 
JNIorny is an Orleanist; Prince Napoleon is a Repub- 
lican; I am a Socialist— only Persigny is an Imperialist, 
and he is mad!" When later on Persigny was made a 
duke, he married the daughter of the Prince de la ]Mos- 
kowa, whose maternal grandfather had been the famous 
IVIarechal Ney. 

The Duchesse de Persigny was, to say the least of it, 
eccentric, and many were the stories related of her while 
her husband was Ambassador to England, somewhere in 
the sixties. Her unpunctuality was notorious. One 
evening there was an official dinner at the Embassy for 
the Lord INIayor. The guests, who had been waiting 
some time for her appearance, were told that "Her Grace 
was in her bath," and presently she appeared with her 
beautiful, fair hair (of which she was very proud) still 
wet and hanging down her back. "Pardonnez moi, mes 
amis," she exclaimed with her slight stammer, "c'est cet 
imbecile de Persigny qui nc m'a pas fait dire Vlieure." 
The Duchess's temper was somewhat quick; on one occa- 

28 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

sion, at a children's dance in Paris, I have a vivid recol- 
lection of her boxing my ears because I could not dance 
the mazurka. 

She was a great Anglomaniac, and Chamarande, their 
country place, was entirely furnished after the English 
fashion, and as in those days the taste was early Vic- 
torian it was not attractive. Several rooms were copied 
from Balmoral, and rejoiced in tartan curtains and car- 
pets, at which the art-loving Frenchmen opened their 
eyes. On the other hand, bedrooms, with their Eng- 
lish writing-tables and comfortable arm-chairs, were a 
revelation of what such rooms should be. 

In August, 1870, the Empress— who had been made 
Regent and was living at St.-Cloud— was often visited 
by M. de Persigny, who brought us all the latest news 
which grew more and more ominous until one day he 
rushed in crying, "Tout est perdu; les Prussiens sont a 
nos portes!" and imploring us to fly, otherwise it would 
be too late. With much difficulty and discomfort and 
many heartburnings we prepared to depart and go to 
Deauville. 

Trains were running most irregularly and were few 
and far between. As it turned out, the one we elected to 
go by was the last to leave. No luggage was allowed us 
but what we could carry. A few clothes were tied up in 
sheets and table-cloths, and so we left. My mother had 
to be carried, as she was too lame to walk. 

While at Deauville a friend of ours, M. de Gardonne, 
called on us unexpectedly at the hotel and asked if he 
might spend the day in our rooms— in fact, hide there. 
He begged that on no account were we to mention his 
name or let any one know we had seen him. Naturally 

31 



REMINISCENCES OF 

we thought this very strange, and my mother grew sus- 
picious; but he impressed upon us that it was for "state 
reasons," of which we should hear later. After dinner, 
when it was quite dark, he departed as mysteriously as 
he had come. Two days later we were thrilled to hear of 
the Empress's escape from Paris, accompanied by Dr. 
Crane, Dr. Evans (the American dentist) , and Madame 
Lebreton, our friend M. de Gardonne having helped to 
make the arrangements. The Empress came to Deau- 
ville unknown to all, went on board Sir John Burgoyne's 
yacht, which had been lying in the harbor, and after a 
rough crossing landed at Ryde in the Isle of Wight. 
The perils of this flight, less hazardous and certainly 
more successful than the flight of Varennes, have been 
greatly exaggerated. 

Meanwhile the Emperor, after Bazaine's defeat at 
Gravelotte and other disasters, repaired to Sedan, where, 
after the battle, on his own authority, he raised the flag 
of truce. According to his posthumous memoirs, Na- 
poleon III "understood the gravity of the responsibility 
which he was incurring and foresaw the accusations that 
would be raised against him." As an example of these, 
the letter on the following page, which I have in my 
possession from General Palikao, his late Minister of 
War, is of interest. 

The Comte de Palikao, formerly General Moutau- 
ban, took part in the 1860 expedition to China. He was 
said to have acquired his title (the name Palikao being 
derived from a town in China) from the fact that he had 
presented the Empress Eugenie with some splendid 
black pearls, looted during the sack of the Summer 
Palace in Peking. 

32 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

OsTENDE, le 21 Octobre, 1870. 
MoN CHER Due, 

Je suis arrive a Ostende depuis quatro jours, et j'y ai trouve 
votre addresse chez nos amis communs Ics Dureau. 

Depuis notre separation le 7emc, jc suis en Belgique ct je 
vous aurais demande de vos nouvclles depuis cette epoque si 
j'avais su ou vous envoyer une lettre. Je saisis done avec cm- 
pressement I'occasion qui m'est ofFerte par la rencontre de cet 
excellent prefet d'Orleans, pour venir causer quelques instants 
avec vous. 

Menace le jour du 4 Septembre dans ma liberte, j'ai quitte le 
meme soir, et je suis vcnu me refugier d'abord a Namur ou j'ai 
ete rejoint par ma femme et mes filles 24 heures apres mon de- 
part. 

Le but principal de mon voyage a Namur etait de me rap- 
procher de Sedan, pour savoir le sort de mon fils qui me donnait 
de vives preoccupations. Apres plusieurs jours de recherches 
j?ai fini par savoir que mon fils, apres avoir ete blcsse a Sedan, 
et avoir eu un cheval tue, etait prisonnier a Cologne, n'ayant 
pas voulu accepter pour son compte la capitulation. 

J'ai qmtte Nemours pour Spa; ce dernier sejour n'etant plus 
habitable pendant I'liiver, je suis venu me fixer a Ostende pour 
attendre les evenements dont je ne puis prevoir I'issue. 

Combien je voudrais, mon cher Due, avoir une plume assez 
habile pour vous retracer toutes les impressions par lesquelles 
j'ai passe depuis ce fatal Sedan. Je suis venu a me demander 
comment un pareil desastre a pu se produire, sans que le princi- 
pal auteur de ce lugubre drame ne se soit pas enseveh sous les 
cadavres de son armee ! 

Je croyais qu'il etait plus facile de mourir que de se des- 
honorer. . . . 

La mort de I'Empereur a Sedan sauvait et la France et son 
fils, la capitulation a tout perdu. 

33 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Aujourd'hui que la France est devenue la proie des Vandales 
etrangeres et de I'interieur, comment pourra se terminer cette 
desolation de notre malheureux pays! — a moins d'une guerre 
generale, qui devrais apporter une diversion dans la politique 
prussienne, je ne vois pas de quel cote nous pourrons nous 
tourner. L'Angleterre parait nous avoir abandonnee, et 
cependant les circonstances qui avaient cimentees notre alliance 
de 1856, peuvent se reproduire pour Elle, mais alors elle ne 
pourra plus compter sur notre concours. Nous sommes tombes 
bien bas ! 

J'avais ofFert mes services au gouvernement de la defense na- 
tionale mais j'ai retire mes off res des que j'ai vu le gouvernement 
appeler, a la honte eternelle de la France, un Garibaldi pour la 
defendre. 

D'un autre cote les accusations de trahison atteignent tous 
les generaux qui ont servi I'Empire, je n'ai pas voulu meler fnon 
nom a toutes ces ignominies. 

Adieu, mon cher Due, si vous voulez me donner de vos nou- 
velles, ma famille et moi nous en serons bien heureux . . . car 
nous avons tous la reconnaissance du coeur. 

Tout a vous, 

General de Palikao. 



In view of this somewhat cruel letter, I cannot refrain 
from quoting General Changarnier, who, although at 
one time hostile to the Emperor, spoke of him thus: 
. . . "And he has been called 'Coward'! When I re- 
member that this man, tortured by a horrible disease, 
remained on horseback at Sedan an entire day, watching 
disappear the prestige of France, his throne, his dynasty, 
and all the glory reaped at Sebastopol and in Lombardy, 
I cannot control myself." 

34 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

And again, Colonel Fabre says: "The Emperor re- 
mained passively for two hours under the fire of shells, 
seeing many of his officers killed round him, before he 
reentered Sedan." 

In October, not being able to return to Paris, we mi- 
grated to England, which I now saw for the first time. 
A winter spent in the- gloom and fogs of London did 
not tend to dispel the melancholy which we felt. Our 
friends scattered, fighting, or killed at the front; de- 
barred as we were from our bright httle house and our 
household gods, it was indeed' a sad time. 

Among the refugees who came to London was the 
Due de Persigny. Broken-hearted, ill, and penniless, 
our poor friend was put to many straits to eke out a liv- 
ing, selling his plate and the little he had been able to 
bring away with him. His devotion to Napoleon III 
never altered, although the Emperor was often irritated 
with him and evidently, from the following letter, 
thought he interfered indiscreetly : 

WiLHELMSHOHE, le 7 Janvier, 1871. 
MoN CHER Persigny, 

J'ai re9u votre lettre du 1 Janvier, et je vous remer9ie des 
voeux que vous faites pour un meilleur avenir. Sans vouloir 
entrer dans la discussion des idees que vous emettez, je vous di- 
rai que rlen de bon ne peut sortir de cette confusion qui resulte 
d'efforts individuels, faits sans discretion et sans autorisation. 
Je trouve en effet singulier qu'on s'occupe de I'avenir de mon fils 
sans se preoccuper de mes intentions. 

Je sais que vous avez ecrit a M. de Bismarck qui m'a naturelle- 
ment fait demander si cela etalt avec mon autorisation et comme 

35 



REMINISCENCES OF 

etant d'accord avec moi. Je lui ai fait repondre que je n'avais 
autorise personne a s'occuper de mes interets et de ceux de mon 
fils sans mon consentement. 

Croyez, mon cher Persigny, a mon amitie, 

Napoleon. 

The letter was wi'itten from Wilhelmshohe and given 
to me by M. de Persigny as an autograph of the Em- 
peror, the Duke adding at the same time that it com- 
promised no one but himself. 

There is good reason to believe that the letter referred 
to a scheme for placing the Prince Imperial on the 
throne during the Emperor's captivity, with the Em- 
press as Regent. 

Persigny died in 1872, preceding by one year his im- 
perial master. 

That autumn and winter (1870-71) London society 
was much entertained and a little scandalized by the 
doings and sayings of two pretty and lively refugees 
from Paris. The Duchesse de Carracciolo and the Com- 
tesse de Bechevet, with their respective husbands and a 
few Frenchmen who preferred shooting birds in Eng- 
land to being shot at in France, took a place in the coun- 
try. Many were the stories told of practical jokes and 
unorthodox sporting incidents, the ladies astonishing the 
country yokels by shooting in kilts and smoking cigar- 
ettes, a thing unheard of in those days. All London 
laughed at the misfortunes of M. de Bechevet, who, be- 
ing ill, was persuaded by one of the guests, admirably 
disguised as a doctor, that he was dying. Another guest, 
travestied as a priest, received his last confession, which 
was eagerly listened to by the rest of the party, hidden 

36 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

behind curtains, their peals of laughter resuscitating the 
dying man. 

While we were in London, and during the siege, my 
father, who had just arrived from America, arranged to 
go to Paris with General Sheridan. They got permis- 
sion to see Mr. Washburne, the American INlinister, who 
had been through the whole siege. They were blind- 
folded and taken through the Prussian lines, and a few 
days later saw the great columns of the victorious army 
roll down the Champs-Elysees. ]My father on his return 
gave me a graphic description of the triumphal entry 
and of the vivid scene impressed on him — how the masses 
of infantry, most of them wearing spectacles, marched 
by the Arc de Triomphe, which was barricaded, and 
through the deserted streets of the once gay city singing 
"Die Wacht am Rhein." ]Many were the stories of in- 
dividual suffering and despair, of hair-breadth escapes 
and brave deeds, told him by the besieged. 

That summer I paid a first visit to Cowes. In those 
days it was delightfully small and peaceful. Xo glori- 
fied villas, no esplanade or pier, no bands or "nigger 
minstrels," no motors or crowded tourist steamers — "no 
nothing," as the children say. The Royal Yacht Squad- 
ron Club laTMi did not resemble a perpetual garden 
party, or the roadstead a perpetual regatta. Yachts 
went in and out ^^-ithout fear of losing their moorings, 
and most of them belonged to the Royal Yacht Squad- 
ron. People all seemed to know one another. The 
Prince and Princess of Wales and many foreign royal- 
ties could walk about and amuse themselves ^^ithout 
being photographed or mobbed, and many were the gay 
little expeditions to Shanklin Bay, Freshwater, or Beau- 

37 



REMINISCENCES OF 

lieu, where they threw off all ceremony and enjoyed 
themselves like ordinary mortals. 

Ever since those early days Cowes has always had so 
great an attraction for me that, notwithstanding its 
gradual deterioration, I have rarely missed a yearly visit. 
My first ball in 1873 was at the Royal Yacht Squadron 
Castle, an entertainment long since abandoned, but then 
an annual event during the Cowes regatta week. It was 
there that I had the honor of being presented to the 
present King and Queen, and made the acquaintance of 
Lord Randolph Churchill. 

In August, 1871, the Emperor Napoleon III and the 
Empress Eugenie, who were living at Camden House, 
Chiselhurst, came to Cowes on a short visit. One day 
a gentleman called, but finding us out, left a card saying 
he would come again. "Le Comte de Pierrefonds" — 
who could it be ? We asked the Empress's private secre- 
tary, M. Pietri. ''Mais c'est VEjnpereur" he said laugh- 
ing. Shortly afterward we were asked by their Maj- 
esties to go for an expedition round the Island. The 
party consisted of the Emperor and Empress, the 
Prince Imperial, the Empress's nieces the Mesdemoi- 
selles d' Albe ( afterwards Duchesse de Medina Coeli and 
Marquise de Tamamis) , and Prince Joachim Murat, the 
Due d'Albe (Carlos), a few Spaniards, and the suite, 
which was composed of one or two faithful followers. 
The expedition was rather a failure, owing to the rough- 
ness of the sea, most of the party seeking "the seclusion 
that the cabin grants." The Mesdemoiselles d'Albe 
were desperately ill, and lay on the deck in a state of 
coma. But the Empress enjoyed the breeze. The 
Prince Imperial, full of life and spirits, chaffed every 

38 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

one, some of his jokes falling rather flat on the Span- 
iards, who were feeling anything but bright, and evi- 
dently thought it no laughing matter. I can see now the 
Emperor leaning against the mast, looking old, ill, and 
sad. His thoughts could not have been other than sor- 
rowful, and even in my young eyes he seemed to have 
nothing to live for. 

After two years' absence (having left for two weeks, as 
we thought at the time), we returned to Paris, to find 
our house, goods, and chattels intact, with the exception 
of the cellar, which had been visited by a shell from 
Mont Valerien. But what changes in Paris itself! 
Ruins everywhere: the sight of the Tuileries and the 
Hotel de Ville made me cry. St.-Cloud, the scene of 
many pleasant expeditions, was a thing of the past, the 
lovely chateau razed to the ground. And if material 
Paris was damaged, the social fabric was even more so. 
In vain we tried to pick up the threads. Some of our 
friends were killed, others ruined or in mourning, and 
all broken-hearted and miserable, hiding in their houses 
and refusing to be comforted. 

The statues at the Place de la Concorde representing 
the most important towns of France, — Strasburg, Lille, 
Nancy, Orleans, — swathed in crape, in which some are 
still draped on the anniversary of Sedan, reminded one 
daily, if one had needed it, of the trials and tribulations 
France had just gone through. Only the embassies and 
a few foreigners, principally Americans, received or en- 
tertained. The Misses King (one of them became Mad- 
ame Waddington, wife of the Ambassador to England) 
gave small parties. Mrs. John Munroe, the wife of the 

39 



REMINISCENCES OF 

American banker, also gave dances for her daughters, 
who eventually married, one Mr. Ridgeway, well known 
in Paris and the hero of Bourget's "M. Cazal," the other 
Baron Hottingue. A few opened their houses, but the 
French on the whole were shy of going out at all, and if 
Paris had any gaiety left in those days, it was owing to 
her cosmopolitan character. As time has gone on, with 
the fall of the Empire and the advent of the Republic, 
society in Paris has become a thing of the past. Broken 
up into small coteries and cliques, each, a law unto itself, 
thinks the others beneath contempt. The old nobility, 
which was beginning to get accustomed to the Empire, 
and was peeping shyly out of its faubourg, has retired 
into it more pertinaciously than ever. Where there is no 
recognized head or "fount of honor," so to speak, there 
can be no recognized grades, and with the exception of a 
small group, Paris society in the present day, as com- 
pared with the past, is like a ship without a rudder. 

Among our compatriots who were more or less settled 
in Paris, our greatest friends were perhaps the Forbeses 
of New York. Two of the daughters eventually mar- 
ried Frenclimen, one the Due de Praslin, head of the 
house of Choiseul, and the other M. Odilon Barrot, son 
of Louis Philippe's Minister. 

My sister and I and Countess Hatzfeldt were once 
invited by the Due de Praslin to visit his beautiful Cha- 
teau of Vaux-Praslin. Our host took us all over the 
huge building, pointing out everything of historical in- 
terest, until we came to an ornamented door, before 
which he paused, but did not enter. ''La chambre du feu 
Due de Praslin^ he said in a grim voice, and then passed 
on. This was the room of the late Duke his father, who 

40 




LEONARD JEROME 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

had murdered his wife, a deed which filled the civilized 
world with horror, and which undoubtedly precipitated 
the revolution of 1848. The Duchess's unfounded jeal- 
ousy of their French governess drove the Duke to this 
terrible act. On our way home we discussed the details 
with bated breath — how the Duchess had first been 
stabbed, then smothered under the canopy of the bed, 
which the Duke pulled down on her ; how the Duke was 
tried by his peers and sentenced to death, but the night 
before the execution was found dead in his cell, friends 
having smuggled in poison to him. It was averred, later, 
that the story of his death was not true, and that in real- 
ity he had escaped and lived in exile for many years. 
At the trial the French governess pleaded her own cause 
so eloquently, that she left the court without the slight- 
est aspersion on her character. She went to America 
and married the Rev. Henry M. Field, brother of Cyrus 
W. Field of Atlantic Cable fame. By the way, the first 
time the cable was laid by the Great Eastern it broke in 
mid-ocean, and my father, who was much interested in 
the scheme, lent his steam-yacht the Clara Clarita 
which went out and recovered it. The yacht was after- 
ward sold to the Government. I remember well being 
taken, as a great treat, on the yacht on its trial trip, and 
my poor mother's face of dismay at the fittings of pale 
blue velvet and silver! My father, in his extravagant 
manner, had left it all to the upholsterer. 

In the autumn of 1873, I recollect going to Ba- 
zaine's trial at Versailles. A long, low room filled to 
suffocation with a curious crowd, many of whom were 
women, a raised platform, a table covered with green 
baize and holding a bottle of water, a few chairs ar- 

2 43 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

ranged in semicircles, completed the mise-en-scene, 
which seemed rather a poor one for the trial for life or 
death of a Marshal of France. The Due d'Aumale, who 
was president, having seated himself at the table, Ba- 
zaine was brought in. All eyes turned on him, and some 
of the women jumped on their chairs, leveling their op- 
era-glasses at the unfortunate man. This was promptly 
put a stop to by the gendarmes present, who pulled the 
offenders down unceremoniously by their skirts. ^'Fi 
doner I heard a gendarme say, "c'est pas gentil"; nor 
was it. 

Bazaine sat impassive even while Maitre Lachaud, his 
advocate, making a curious defense at one moment 
pointed with a dramatic gesture to the accused, exclaim- 
ing "Mais, regardez-le done! Ce n'est pas un traitre, 
e'est un imheeiUr 

How the mighty had fallen! I thought of him and 
his wife in the glittering throng of Compiegne only 
three years before, and of him again as commander-in- 
chief of a huge army, which now he was supposed to 
have betrayed and sold. I say supposed, for although 
he was found guilty and condemned to death (which 
was commuted to twenty years' imprisonment) there 
were many who believed in him and thought him a hero. 
His permitted escape on the 9th of August, 1874, from 
the He Ste. Marguerite had the elements of the gro- 
tesque about it, and if he was a martyr, I doubt if pos- 
terity will place a halo roimd his head. 



44 



CHAPTER III 

MARRIAGE AND LONDON LIFE 

THE course of true love never runs smooth," as 
we all know, and my engagement to Lord Ran- 
dolph Churchill was no exception to the rule. 
The Duke of Marlborough, my prospective father-in- 
law, would not consent to our marriage until Randolph 
had got into Parliament. Moreover, the wish to test the 
stability of our affections may not improbably have 
lurked in the recesses of the Duke's mind, for I am 
bound to admit that we had arrived at our momentous 
decision without much delay. 

During the year of our engagement, I remained with 
my family in Paris and had to content myself with 
flying visits from my fiance, with whom, however, I kept 
up an animated correspondence. He tried to initiate 
me in the mysteries of English politics, of which I was 
at that time in blissful ignorance. I looked forward 
greatly to the impending General Election, which, apart 
from the dignity Randolph was to acquire by becoming 
a member of Parliament, meant the end of our long 
probation. 

In one of Randolph's letters of that date (1874), he 
says in speaking of Mr. Disraeli, for whom he had a 
profound admiration : 

45 



REMINISCENCES OF 

I advise you to get a copy of to-day's "Times" if you can, 
and read Disraeli's great speech. He has made a magnificent 
one to the Conservatives of Glasgow ... it is a fine specimen 
of perfect English oratory. 

I remember in our letters a great controversy on my 
having used the word "prorogued" in a wrong sense, 
apropos of Bazaine's trial. Much to Randolj)h's indig- 
nation, I had quoted in my defense the opinion of the 
Comte de Fenelon, a young Frenchman of our acquaint- 
ance whom I thought in virtue of his descent, a good 
authority. From Blenheim, Randolph writes: 

. . . Hang le petit Fenelon . . . little idiot ! What do I care 
for him — He may be a very good authority about his own 
beastly language but I cannot for a moment submit to him 
about English. Whether you use the word prorogation as a 
French or an English one I don't know. In the former case, as 
the word is a Latin one and as there can be no doubt as to its 
meaning, I apprehend you are wrong, but still would not at- 
tempt to lay down the law to you on the meaning of any French 
word. If you use it as an English word you are undoubtedly 
not only using an inaccurate expression, but a meaningless and 
unintelligible one. To prorogue, means to suspend something 
for a definite time to be resumed again in exactly the same state, 
condition, and circumstances. Therefore to talk about pro- 
roguing the Marshal's powers, would mean that they were to 
be suspended for a certain time and then resumed again exactly 
as before. Parliament is prorogued, U Assemhlee is prorogued; 
that does not in the least mean that the powers of either are 
lengthened or increased in any way but that they are tempo- 
rarily suspended. Whatever words the French papers may use, 
I have never seen any English paper use the word in any other 
sense, and in any other sense it cannot possibly be used. 

46 




LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL IN 1874 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

And in a further letter he ends : 

I am looking forward particularly to utterly suppressing 
and crushing le petit Fenelon. We must really tho' drop this 
argument when I am with you, as it is hkely to become a heated 
one, I fear. We will therefore "prorogue" it. 

Immediately after my marriage in April, 1874, I set- 
tled in London, to enjoy my first season with all the 
vigor and un jaded appetite of youth. After the com- 
paratively quiet life of Paris, we seemed to live in a 
whirl of gaieties and excitement. Many were the de- 
lightful balls I went to, which, unlike those of the pres- 
ent day, invariably lasted till five o'clock in the morning. 
Masked balls were much the vogue. Holland House, 
with its wonderful historical associations and beautiful 
gardens, was a fitting frame for such entertainments, 
and I remember enjoying myself immensely at one 
given there. Disguised in a painted mask and a yellow 
wig, I mystified every one. My sister who was staying 
T\ath us, had been walking in the garden with young 
Lord , who w^as a parti and much run after by de- 
signing mothers with marriageable daughters. Intro- 
ducing him to me, she pretended I was her mother. 
Later in the evening I attacked him, saying that my 
daughter had just confided to me that he had proposed 
to her, and that she had accepted him. To this day I can 
see his face of horror and bewilderment. Vehemently 
he assured me that it was not so. But I kept up the 
farce, declaring that my husband would call on him next 
day and reveal our identity, and that meanwhile I should 
consider him engaged to my charming daughter. Defi- 

49 



REMINISCENCES OF 

cient in humor and not overburdened with brains, he 
could not take the joke, and left the house a miserable 
man. 

Generally speaking, there is no doubt that English 
people are dull-witted at a masked ball, and do not 
understand or enter into the spirit of intrigue which is 
all-important on such occasions. One reason may be 
that both sexes are masked in England — whereas abroad 
this is not the practice, nor would it be understood. The 
license a man might take if his identity were to remain 
unknown would never be tolerated. Besides, it stands to 
reason that unless one of the two remains unmasked 
there cannot be much mystifying. Some women refuse 
to say anything but "Yes" and "No" in a falsetto voice, 
and think they have had a glorious time as long as their 
identity is not discovered. "You don't know me. You 
don't know me," was the parrot cry of one lady. "And 
I don't want to," said Lord Charles Beresford, fleeing 
from her, "if you 've nothing else to say." 

Another masked ball was given by M. and Mme. de 
Santurce, the head of the Murietta family. They had a 
charming house in Kensington, like many others long 
since closed. Madame de Santurce, a beautiful woman 
of the Spanish type, was very popular, and entertained 
lavishly at Wadhurst, their country place in Sussex. 
Some years later, being there with Randolph, an amus- 
ing incident occurred at which we all laughed heartily. 
Thought-reading was the fashionable amusement of the 
moment, and one evening Lady de Clifford, a very 
pretty and attractive woman, insisted on making Ran- 
dolph, who was reading peacefully in a corner, join in 
the game. Having duly blindfolded him, she led him 

50 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

into the middle of the room and made various passes 
with her hands, saying, "Don't resist any thought which 
comes into your head ; do exactly what you feel like do- 
ing. I am willing you." Without a moment's hesitation 
Randolph threw his arms round the lady, and embraced 
her before the whole company. To her cries and indig- 
nant remonstrances he merely replied, "You told me to 
do what I felt like doing — so I did." 

The London season of thirty years ago was far more 
prolonged and its glories more apparent than they are 
now. It was looked upon as a very serious matter which 
no self-respecting persons who considered themselves 
"in society" would forego, nor of which a votary of 
fashion would willingly miss a week or a day. The win- 
ter session which usually assembled in February, as it 
does now, and sat for six weeks, brought to London the 
legislators and their families ; but from October to Feb- 
ruary the town was a desert. Religiously, however, on 
the first of May, Belgravia — the Belgravia described by 
Lord Beaconsfield — would open the doors of its freshly 
painted and flower-bedecked mansions. Dinners, balls, 
and parties succeeded one another without intermission 
till the end of July, the only respite being at the Whit- 
suntide recess. A few of the racing people might go to 
Newmarket for a week, but the fashionable world 
flocked only to the classic races— the Derby, Ascot, and 
Goodwood. 

Parties were arranged for Hurlingham to see the 
pigeon-shooting, or for the fashionable flower-shows 
then held at the Botanical Gardens, or again to Wimble- 
don to see the shooting for the Elcho Shield, which in 
those days was a feature of the London season. To be 

51 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Commandant of the Camp was a coveted post, and I re- 
member Lord and Lady Wharncliff e living in large 
tents and. entertaining for a whole fortnight in the most 
smnptuous manner. We used to drive down on coaches 
in Ascot frocks and feathered hats, and stay to dinner, 
driving back by moonlight. 

Chiswick House, which was let at that time by the late 
Duke of Devonshire to the Prince and Princess of 
Wales, was the scene of many garden-parties and din- 
ners. One night we dined there to meet two Russian 
Grand Dukes. My elder sister, who had arrived from 
Paris and was staying with us, was also invited. We 
were pressed to play the waltzes of Waldteufel, whose 
lovely music was only just beginning to be known in 
England, although he had for years been band-master 
at the Tuileries. When the royalties were departing the 
company stood on both sides of the hf 11, the Prince and 
Princess of Wales gracefully bowing and saying a few 
words to each guest as was their wont. The Russian 
Grand Dukes, on the other hand, marched out without 
so much as a look or a bow to the courtesying ladies. 
This was very much commented on and murmurs of 
"Cossacks!" and "Grattez le Russef were heard on all 
sides. 

The French Embassy was a great feature of that 
season. Sosthenes de La Rochefoucauld, Due de Bi- 
saccia, had been appointed Ambassador to London, and 
he and his wife (Princesse Marie de Ligne) were im- 
mensely liked, the prestige of his great name adding 
luster to the importance of his post. Their dinners and 
balls were most sumptuous, everything being done on a 
princely scale. On state occasions their gala coach vied 

52 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

in splendor with the finest English equipages, the purple 
and red liveries of the La Rochefoucauld family having 
rarely seen the light of day since the reign of Louis 
XVIII. Much to every one's regret the Duke was re- 
called after a few months. Appointed by Marshal 
MacMahon, he so far forgot that he was Ambassador of 
the Republic as to make a speech in the Chamber during 
a week's leave in Paris, in which he warmly advocated 
the reestablishment of the Monarchy ! 

I think the sight which impressed me the most was 
Rotten Row, the wonder and admiration of foreigners, 
whose Prater, Pincio, Unter den Linden, or AUee des 
Acacias, were but a faint copy. Its glories are, alas! a 
thing of the past. In 1874, between the hours of twelve 
and two, the Park was still the most frequented place 
in London, the fashionable world congregating there to 
ride, drive, or walk. It was a brilliant and animated 
scene which filled the foreigner with admiration and 
envy, no capital in Europe being able to compete with it. 

The claim to the finest horsemanship in the world has 
with justice been awarded to English men and women. 
Mounted on thoroughbred hacks, the ladies wore close- 
fitting braided habits, which showed off their slim figures 
to advantage. The men, irreproachably attired in frock- 
coats, pearl-gray trousers, and varnished boots, wore the 
inevitable tall hat, a great contrast to the neglige Rough 
Rider appearance of the present day, when all elegance 
is proscribed in favor of comfort. For two hours a 
smartly dressed crowd jostled one another, walking 
slowly up and down on each side of the Row. Well-ap- 
pointed vehicles of all kinds made the Park look gay, 
from the four-in-hand coach and pony-carriage to the 

53 



REMINISCENCES OF 

now obsolete tilbury, with its tiny groom clinging like a 
limpet behind. In the afternoon the stately barouche 
made its appearance, with high-stepping horses, be- 
wigged coachmen, and powdered footmen in gorgeous 
livery. A few of these still survive, but formerly they 
were the rule rather than the exception. One day much 
excitement was caused by the sight of a man galloping 
furiously up and down in pursuit, so it seemed, of the 
Heir Apparent. It was found out afterward that he 
had no nefarious intentions, but unfortunately he went a 
little too close, and cannoning against the royal person- 
age, knocked him over. This incident gave rise to an 
amusing popular song called "The Galloping Snob of 
Rotten Row." 

Up to 1834 carriages were allowed in the Row, but 
now its tanned roadway is kept entirely for riders. The 
Duke of St. Albans, Hereditary Grand Falconer, how- 
ever, has the privilege of driving through the Row if he 
chooses. This reminds me of a story told of Lord 
Charles Beresford, who accepted the wagers of some 
friends that he would drive up the Row without being 
molested by the police. But on the day fixed for the 
experiment, the friends, who had repaired thither en 
masse, looked in vain for him until in the much-abused 
driver of a water-cart, which was careering up and down 
splashing every one, they spied the laughing counte- 
nance of the triumphant Lord Charles. 

It may not be generally known that what is now called 
Rotten Row was in old days termed "The King's Old 
Road" and "The King's New Road," Rotten Row being 
probably derived from "Route du Roi." For more than 
two centuries Hyde Park has been a rendezvous for 

54 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

exercise and social intercourse. Pepys says in his gossipy 
diary: "April 30th, 1661. I am sorry that I am not at 
London, to be at Hide-Parke to-morrow, among the 
great gallants and ladies, which will be fine." And 
again: "April 16th, 1664. To Hide-Parke, where I had 
not been since last year ; where I saw the King with his 
periwigs, but not altered at all ; my Lady Castlemaine in 
a coach by herself, in yellow satin and a pinner on; and 
many brave persons. And myself being in a hackney 
and full of people, was ashamed to be seen by the world, 
many of them knowing me." And again: "March 19th, 
1665. Mr. Povy and I in his coach to Hide-Parke, 
being the first day of the tour there. Where many 
brave ladies, among others, Castlemaine, lay impudently 
upon her back, in her coach, asleep, with her mouth 
open." 

Having been brought up in France, I was accustomed 
to the restrictions and chaperonage to which young girls 
had to submit, but I confess to thinking that as a mar- 
ried woman I should be able to emancipate myself en- 
tirely. In matters of propriety, however, London was 
much more strict and conventional than it is now. A 
lady never traveled alone without taking her maid with 
her in the railway carriage. To go by oneself in a han- 
som was thought very "fast" — not to speak of walking, 
which could be permitted only in quiet squares or streets. 
As for young girls driving anywhere by themselves, such 
a thing was unheard of. 

Etiquette and the amenities of social life were thought 
much more of than they are now. The writing of cere- 
monious notes, the leaving of cards, not to speak of 
visites de digestion, which even young men were sup- 

55 



REMINISCENCES OF 

posed to pay, took up most afternoons. There was 
little or none of that extraordinary restlessness and 
craving for something new which is a feature of to-day, 
necessarily causing manners to deteriorate, and certainly 
curtailing the amenities of social life on which past gene- 
rations set such store. A nod replaces the ceremonious 
bow, a familiar hand-shake the elaborate courtesy. The 
carefully-worded beautifully-written invitation of thirty 
years ago is dropped in favor of a garbled telephone 
message, such as "Will Mrs. S. dine with Lady T. and 
bring a man, and if she can't find one she must n't come, 
as it would make them thirteen"; or a message to a Club, 
"Will Mr. G. dine with Lady T. to-night? If no, will 
he look in the card-room and see if any of her lot are 
there, and suggest somebody." Life, however, seemed 
to be as full as it is now, although people did not try to 
press into one day the duties and pleasures of a week, 
finishing none and enjoying none. The motor and the 
telephone were unknown, and the receipt of the shilling 
telegram was still unusual enough to cause feelings of 
apprehension. There was none of that easy tolerance 
and familiarity which is undoubtedly fostered by the 
daily, not to say hourly, touch and communication of 
modern society. 

The strict observance of Sunday filled me with awe 
and amazement. I had lived most of my life in Paris, 
where everything gay and bright was reserved for that 
day, and could not understand the voluntary, nay, delib- 
erate gloom and depression in which every one indulged. 
There was then no Queen's Hall to while away a wet 
afternoon and improve one's knowledge of good music. 
The fashion of going to the country for the week-end 

56 





LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

was not known, whereas now motors have made the 
country so accessible that the eyes of all sensible people 
are open to the folly of wasting days when not obliged 
in a hot, evil-smelling and noisy metropolis. 

Innumerable are the country-house parties with golf, 
lawn-tennis and the river to amuse and keep one out of 
doors. Mothers with broods of marriageable daughters 
find this kind of entertainment a better market to take 
them to than the heated atmosphere of the ball-room, 
which the desirable partis shun for the greater attraction 
of air and exercise. 

Gardening, too, has become a craze. The lovely gar- 
dens which formerly were left by their owners to bloom 
unseen are now sought after, and reveled in. Every one 
aspires to be a Miss Jekyll or a Mrs. Boyd, and the rival 
merits of Japanese, Friendship or Rock Gardens form a 
favorite subject of discussion. 

It was not until well on in the eighties that people 
began to give dinner parties on Sundays. Very few had 
out their carriages, and as Randolph objected to the 
practice our modest brougham was replaced by the com- 
mon cab. 

On one occasion we dined at Marlborough House. 
As it was a very hot night in July, and the party 
a small one, the Prince of Wales accompanied his 
departing guests to the door. At that moment a foot- 
man in stentorian tones announced, "Lady Randolph 
Churchill's carriage stops the way/' whereupon a de- 
crepit Rosinante, dragging the most dilapidated of four- 
wheelers, well filled with straw, crawled up to the door. 
As I prepared to get in, our royal host chafRngly re- 
marked that my conscience was better than my carriage. 

59 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Not to be outdone, I retorted : "Is it not, Sir, the Queen's 
carriage? How can I have a better?" ^ 

Speaking of cabs reminds me that it was always said 
that the late Lord and Lady Salisbury, who were not 
given an adequate allowance in the early years of their 
marriage, and who, as every one knows, increased their 
income by the work of their pens, went about habitually 
in four-wheelers. Lady Salisbury, it is added, used to 
stick straws in her ball dress to draw attention to the 
parsimony with which they were treated. 

Thirty years ago there were very few Americans in 
London : Miss Consuelo Ysnaga, afterwards Duchess of 
Manchester; Miss Stevens, now Lady Paget; and Mrs. 
William Carrington, were among those I knew. 

In England, as on the Continent, the American 
woman was looked upon as a strange and abnormal crea- 
ture, with habits and manners something between a Red 
Indian and a Gaiety Girl. Anything of an outlandish 
nature might be expected of her. If she talked, dressed 
and conducted herself as any well-bred woman would, 
much astonishment was invariably evinced, and she was 
usually saluted with the tactful remark, "I should never 
have thought you were an American," which was in- 
tended as a compliment. 

As a rule, people looked upon her as a disagreeable 
and even dangerous person, to be viewed with suspicion, 
if not avoided altogether. Her dollars were her only 
reconmiendation, and each was credited with the posses- 
sion of them, otherwise what was her raison d'etre? No 
distinction was ever made among Americans ; they were 
all supposed to be of one uniform type. The wife and 

^ Public conveyances were dubbed the Queen's carriages. 

60 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

daughters of the newly-enriched CaHfornian miner, 
swathed in silks and satins, and blazing with diamonds 
on the smallest provocation; the cultured, refined and 
retiring Bostonian ; the aristocratic Virginian, as full of 
tradition and family pride as a Percy of Northumber- 
land, or a La Rochefoucauld; the cosmopolitan and up- 
to-date New Yorker : all were grouped in the same cate- 
gory, all were considered tarred with the same brush. 

The innumerable caricatures supposed to represent 
the typical American girl depicted her always of one 
type: beautiful and refined in appearance, but dressed 
in exaggerated style, and speaking — with a nasal twang 
— the most impossible language. The young lady who, 
in refusing anything to eat, says, "I 'm pretty crowded 
just now," or in explaining why she is traveling alone 
remarks that "Poppa don't voyage, he 's too fleshy," was 
thought to be representative of the national type and 
manners. 

So great in society was the ignorance even of the 
country that it was thought astonishing if an American 
from New York knew nothing of one from San Fran- 
cisco, as though they came from neighboring counties. 
On the Continent the ignorance was still greater — many 
went so far as to include South America. I remember 
once a Frenchman asking if I knew a certain Chilian 
lady, and when I replied in the negative, he exclaimed, 
''Mais netes vous pas toutes les deux Americaines?" 

American men were myths, few being idle enough to 
have leisure to travel. But they were all supposed to be 
as loud and vulgar as the mothers were unpresentable, 
and the daughters undesirable— unless worth their 
weight in gold. 

61 



REMINISCENCES OF 

A great deal of water has flowed under the bridge 
since those days. The steady progress of American 
women in Europe can be gauged by studying their pres- 
ent position. It is not to be denied that they are sharing 
many of the "seats of the mighty," and the most jealous 
and carping critic cannot find fault with the way they fill 
them. In the political, literary, and diplomatic world 
they hold their own. The old prejudices against them, 
which arose mostly out of ignorance, have been removed, 
and the American woman is now generally approved of. 

In those days Parisian fashions made their appear- 
ance in London about two years after they were the 
mode in Paris. In the matter of dress the Englishwomen 
have so improved of late years that it is difficult to real- 
ize how badly and inappropriately they used to attire 
themselves. Having formed my opinion by what I had 
heard abroad, I fancied that they generally wore a mus- 
lin and a sealskin — and perhaps I was not far wrong; 
but the genial climate of England, with its variation of 
from fifteen to twenty degrees in a day, might be offered 
as an excuse. 

What would now be thought proper only for a dinner 
could then be worn at Ascot. I remember appearing on 
the Cup Day in my wedding-dress of white satin and 
point lace, with roses in my bonnet. On the other hand, 
black was alone thought possible for a lady to wear at the 
play, and once when I appeared in pale blue, Randolph 
implored me before starting to change it, as it was "so 
conspicuous." 

The late Lord Dudley, like Napoleon I, disliked black 
and dark colors, and never allowed any member of his 
family to wear them. Not knowing this, I went to a ball 

62 




■ !/i. l'i,//;,7/i.:- i'/u- 0/ I'/^-cii ./. '. 



HIS GRACI£, JOHN, UL KU Ol- MARLBDROUGH 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

at Dudley House in what I thought a particularly at- 
tractive costume— dark blue and crimson roses. To my 
discomfiture my host came up to me and nearly reduced 
me to tears by asking why I came to his ball in such a 
"monstrous dress." An otherwise most kind and atten- 
tive host, he certainly was an autocrat in his own house 
respecting dress. At Witley Court, his famous place in 
Worcestershire, when there was a shooting party he 
would come to breakfast in a velvet coat, and insisted on 
his guests wearing shoes and morning coats instead of 
the hobnailed boots and rough and often weather-beaten 
tweeds donned by the sportsmen of to-day. 

There is no doubt that even in sporting pursuits ele- 
gance in dress was thought more of than comfort. In 
looking at the old pictures of the Prince Consort, it 
seemed strange that he could stalk in the costume he is 
invariably represented as wearing — tight-fitting trousers 
and a long cutaway coat, not to mention a flyaway felt 
hat, and a plaid on his shoulders by way of cape. 

Before leaving the subject of dress, it is only fair to 
recognize that Englishwomen have set the fashion to all 
the world in country clothes. There they are at their 
best, and their practical and sensible garments, now so 
widely adopted by all, were a revelation to me, with my 
Louis XV heels and plumed hats. When I first came to 
England and was taken for walks in the country, I had 
many bitter experiences with long gowns and thin paper- 
like shoes, before realizing the advantage of short skirts 
and "beetle-crushers." 

Even Englishwomen, however, have had to wait for 
the evolution of fashion in that respect. A granddaugh- 
ter of Sir Hugh Hume Campbell, a Scotchman of the 

* 65 



REMINISCENCES OF 

old regime, told me once how shocked and horrified he 
was the first time he saw her in an ulster. He dubbed it 
"fast and mannish," only one remove from bloomers, 
and declared that no grandchild of his, or even any lady, 
who wore one should be allowed to enter his house. 
"Mr. Punch," who at that time caricatured women 
smoking cigarettes in short tailor-made dresses and hard 
pot hats as something improbable, nay, impossible, little 
knew what a prophet he was. It is not to be denied that 
smoking is much on the increase among women in Eng- 
land, and it is now more or less an accepted fact, and is 
tolerated even in the most old-fashioned houses. This 
has its advantages, making life more sociable, as men 
seek their own dens less, knowing that they can have 
their cigarettes in the company of the ladies. 

In the early fifties it was supposed to be the height 
of ill-breeding and vulgarity for a man to be seen smok- 
ing a cigar in the street, and the smoking-room in a 
country-house was generally some miserable room con- 
sidered too unattractive for anything else, and as far 
removed from the living-rooms as possible. Now the 
warmest and brightest is surrendered. 

An old story is told of Lord who was an in- 
veterate smoker. While staying at Windsor in the life- 
time of the Prince Consort, he was one day discovered 
in his bedroom, lying on his back, smoking up the chim- 
ney. This was repeated to Queen Victoria, and thence- 
forward, it is said, a smoking-room was provided. 

Although women smoke in restaurants it is unlikely 
that the practice will spread farther, for in Russia 
where they smoke more than in any other country with 
the exception of Austria, a lady who would indulge in 

66 




'I' ' ^ ""/'// '(>/\V/</// 



/// 



HER GRACE, SARAH JENNINGS, FIRST DUCHESS O 



F MARLBOROT'CH 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

thirty or forty cigarettes a day will not smoke in a public 
place, such as a street or railway-station. In the most 
aristocratic Austrian circles, on the other hand, ladies are 
frequently seen smoking cigars at balls and receptions. 

When one sees the number of restaurants there are at 
the present day, crowded with well-dressed and often 
well-known people, it seems incredible that thirty j^ears 
ago none existed. Sometimes Randolph and I would be 
passing through London in August, and our house 
being closed we were sorely put to it to know where to 
dine. The only possible place was the St. James's 
Hotel, now the Berkeley. There, if necessity took you, 
you could get, in a small, dingy dining-room lighted 
with gas, an apology for a dinner. Smoking was never 
allowed, and two people of opposite sex seen together 
were looked at very much askance. Later the Bachelors' 
Club and the New Club at Covent Garden became the 
fashionable resorts at which to dine, although to do so 
anywhere but in a private house was thought quite 
"emancipated." 

Small dances were given at the New Club, at one of 
which. Count Kinsky being the host, the Prince of 
Wales, the ill-fated King of Portugal then Duke of 
Braganza, the King of Greece, and the unfortunate 
Archduke Rudolph of Austria were present. It was 
most animated, and we danced till the early hours of the 
morning to the music of the Tziganes, then a new im- 
portation. An American young lady was so carried 
away with the excitement of the moment that she was 
heard calling the King of Greece, with whom she had 
been dancing, a "bully King" — much to his amusement. 
I often met the King in later years at Aix-les-Bains. 

69 



REMINISCENCES OF 

He was then extraordinarily like his sister Queen Alex- 
andra, and had the same voice. At one time he was 
much interested in a playhouse which was being built at 
Athens, to be called the National Theater, and discussed 
the project at length with me. Madame Duse, happen- 
ing to be at Aix at the time, was very anxious to in- 
augurate it. I spoke to the King on her behalf, and was 
instrumental in bringing about the interview between 
them. Unfortunately nothing eventually came of it, as 
Madame Duse fell ill. It was a great pity that the 
finest actress alive should have missed this opportunity 
of opening the finest theater in the most classic of all 
cities. Although very attractive, she is a woman of 
moods, and a difficult person to cultivate. But genius 
excuses everything. 

In those days it would have been absolutely impossible 
for ladies to appear in public places in full dress. Now 
people dine at restaurants attired as for a ball, with 
jewels and tiaras. Once at the Carlton Hotel I saw a 
large party of well-known people having supper in the 
public room, who, from their costumes, had evidently 
been performing in tableaux vivants. It was a comical, 
if not very edifying, sight to see Boadicea, with her 
shield and spear, her hair hanging to the ground, sitting 
beside a youth travestied as a cherub, with a wreath of 
roses on his foolish head, while Madame de Pompadour 
in powder and patches faced them with Julius Caesar! 
Another night it was a wedding party which held high 
revels in the same place. The young, well-born, and 
handsome couple were to be married the next day, and 
had chosen this form of public amusement to celebrate 
their last hours of "single blessedness." Each sat at a 

70 



LADY RAXDOLPH CHURCHILL 

long table decorated with white flowers, the prospective 
bride with her girl friends, the bridegroom with his boon 
companions. As the dinner progressed and the fun in- 
creased, the throwing of notes and flowers to one an- 
other occasioned shrieks of laughter, which startled and 
amused the general company, not to speak of the wait- 
ers, who were having provided for them a show for which 
they were not asked to pay. 

One custom which has changed very much is the short 
interval thought necessary before a married couple can 
appear after their "honeymoon." Two or three days is 
all that is now required after the wedding; whereas for- 
merly it was supposed to be quite extraordinary, if not 
actually improper and embarrassing, to mix with your 
fellow-creatures for at least a month. Shortly after my 
marriage, I was presented to the Czar, Alexander II, at 
a ball given in his honor at Staff*ord House. On being 
told that I had been married only a few weeks, he ex- 
claimed, fixing his cold gray eyes on me with a look of 
censure, '^Et id deja!" 

I had many new experiences in those early years, not 
the least trying being my attempt at housekeeping, 
which was Yery erratic, owing to the ignorance I often 
had cause to bemoan. At the first dinner party we ever 
gave the chef we had brought flrom Paris became "ex- 
cited," and, to my consternation, I saw the entree, in the 
shape of patties, floating in the soup, whereas the 
poached eggs intended for it appeared in solitary gran- 
deur. These are things never to be forgotten by a young 
housewife. 

Although Randolph did not trouble the House of 
Commons very much at that time, being satisfied with a 

73 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

perfunctory attendance, he delighted in the society of 
poHticians and men older than himself. Lord Beacons- 
field, then Mr. Disraeli, sometimes dined with us. On 
one occasion Randolph and I were discussing the eve- 
ning, after our guests had departed, and he commented 
on Mr. Disraeli's flowery and exaggerated language 
saying, "When I offered him more wine, he replied, 
'My dear Randolph, I have sipped your excellent 
champagne, I have drunk your good claret, I have 
tasted your delicious port, I will have no more.' " This 
I found amusing, as having sat next to him at dinner 
I had particularly noticed that he drank nothing 
but a little weak brandy and water. Mr. Disraeli was 
always kind and talked to me at length, which occasioned 
much chaff among my friends, who invariably asked me 
what office I had got for Randolph. He was very fond 
of dragging in French words, a language he spoke with 
a weird accent. I remember once his saying to me, 

speaking of a prominent politician of the day. Sir , 

a great friend of ours: "I think him very gross, like an 
episeer" (Spicier), at which pronunciation I could 
hardly keep from laughing. Sometimes he was rather 
cross, and if bored or vexed, did not hesitate to let people 
know it. On one occasion when Lady Lonsdale (now 
Lady de Grey) gave an evening party at Carlton House 
Terrace, a lady whose antics were generally a source of 
amusement ambled up to Lord Beaconsfield, and tap- 
ping him archly with her fan, made some foolish remark. 
Turning a stony stare on her, he said in an audible voice 
to his neighbor, "Who is that little ape?" 



74 



CHAPTER IV 



BLENHEIM 



MY first visit to Blenheim was on a beautiful 
spring day in May, 1874. Some of the 
Duke's tenants and Randolph's constituents 
met us at the station to give us a welcome, and taking 
the horses out of the carriage, insisted on dragging us 
through the town to the house. The place could not 
have looked more glorious, and as we passed through the 
entrance archway, and the lovely scenery burst upon me, 
Randolph said with pardonable pride, "This is the finest 
view in England." Looking at the lake, the bridge, the 
miles of magnificent park studded with old oaks, I 
found no adequate words to express my admiration, and 
when we reached the huge and stately palace, where I 
was to find hospitality for so many years, I confess that 
I felt awed. But my American pride forbade the ad- 
mission, and I tried to conceal my feelings, asking Ran- 
dolph if Pope's lines were a true description of the in- 
side: 

"See, sir, here 's the grand approach ; 
This way is for his grace's coach: 
There lies the bridge, and here 's the clock ; 
Observe the lion and the cock. 
The spacious court, the colonnade, 
And mark how wide the hall is made I 

75 



REMINISCENCES OF 

The chimneys are so well design'd 
They never smoke in any wind. 
This gallery 's contrived for walking, 
The windows to retire and talk in ; 
The council chamber for debate, 
And all the rest are rooms of state." 
"Thanks, sir," cried I, " 't is very fine, 
But where d' ye sleep, or where d' ye dine.'* 
I find by all you have been telling. 
That 't is a house, but not a dwelling." 

The imperious Sarah, known to her contemporaries as 
"Great Atossa," 

Who with herself, or others, from her birth 
Finds all her life one warfare upon earth, 

demolished the older and probably more comfortable 
hunting lodge which stood in the forest. Tradition as- 
serts that it occupied the site of the "Bower" in which 
"Fair Rosamond" hid her royal amours. To this day 
"Rosamond's Well," concealed among the trees, is the 
object of a favorite walk. Pope also took exception to 
the noble bridge which in his day spanned the narrow 
river only, the large lake through which it now runs 
having been made later. 

How strange life in a big country-house seemed to 
me, who until then had been accustomed only to towns ! 
The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough lived in a most 
dignified, and, indeed, somewhat formal style. Every- 
thing was conducted in what would now be considered a 
very old-fashioned manner. At luncheon, rows of en- 
tree dishes adorned the table, joints beneath massive 
silver covers being placed before the Duke and Duchess, 

76 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

who each carved for the whole company, and as this in- 
cluded governesses, tutors, and children, it was no sine- 
cure. 

Before leaving the dining-room, the children filled 
with food small baskets kept for the purpose for poor 
cottagers or any who might be sick or sorry in Wood- 
stock. These they distributed in the course of their 
afternoon walks. 

When the house was full for a shooting-party, even 
breakfast was made a ceremonious meal, and no one 
dreamed of beginning until all had assembled. The 
ladies would be dressed in long velvet or silk trains, and 
I remember one morning laughing immoderately when 
Lady Wilton (the second wife of the "vncked" Earl, as 
he was called), on appearing in an electric blue velvet 
and being asked who made it, she said with conscious 
pride, "It 's a Stratton," ^ as who would say, "It 's a 
Vandyke." On the other hand, luncheon for the shoot- 
ers was not in those days the glorified affair it is at pres- 
ent. People were quite content with something cold, 
eaten in haste, often not under cover, instead of the 
carpeted tent and elaborate feast provided nowadays, 
hot, from the soup to the coffee. There is no doubt the 
present generation treat a country-house more or less like 
a hotel, coming and going as they like, to suit their own 
convenience, and seldom consulting that of their hosts. 

In those days, the guests having been duly told by 
which train to come, were expected to arrive by it, unless 
a very good excuse was forthcoming. They used to sit 
solemnly through an elaborate tea, exchanging empty 
civiHties for an hour or more, until the hostess (who 

^ Mrs. Stratton was one of the fashionable dressmakers of the day. 

77 



REMINISCENCES OF 

wore a lace cap if middle-aged, then about forty) gave 
the signal to rise, uttering the invariable formula, "I am 
sure you must need a little rest." The guests, once im- 
mured within their rooms, were not to reappear until 
the dining-hour. However little they wanted rest, 
however bored by their own society, or disturbed by the 
unpacking maid, there they were supposed to remain. 
Sometimes it was the hostess who suffered. A friend of 
mine, a rather shy lady, who was entertaining a prim 
Princess, timidly proposed after half an hour of uphill 
small talk, to take her to her rooms. "Thank you," said 
the Princess in icy tones, looking at her watch, "it is now 
half -past five. I will go to my room at seven." 

Nous avons change tout cela. Nowadays some of the 
modern hostesses do not take the trouble to communicate 
at all in respect of trains and such details. The guests 
find their own way, and choose their own time, at their 
own sweet will and proper responsibility. Perchance 
the host and hostess are not even at home to welcome 
their guests. They may be hunting, golfing or motor- 
ing, and excuses when they do appear are thought 
hardly necessary by them or by their guests. 

When the family were alone at Blenheim, everything 
went on with the regularity of clockwork. So assidu- 
ously did I practise my piano, read, or paint, that I 
began to imagine myself back in the school-room. In 
the morning an hour or more was devoted to the reading 
of newspapers, which was a necessity, if one wanted to 
show an intelligent interest in the questions of the day, 
for at dinner conversation invariably turned on politics. 
In the afternoon a drive to pay a visit to some neighbor, 
or a walk in the gardens, would help to while away some 

78 




\'IE\V OF BLE.VHHIM PALACE 




GATEWAY AT BLENHEIM 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

part of the day. After dinner, which was a rather 
solemn full-dress affair, we all repaired to what was 
called the Vandyke room. There one might read one's 
book, or play for love a mild game of whist. Many a 
glance would be cast at the clock, which sometimes 
would be surreptitiously advanced a quarter of an hour 
by some sleepy member of the family. No one dared 
suggest bed until the sacred hour of eleven had struck. 
Then we would all troop out into a small anteroom, and 
lighting our candles, each in turn would kiss the Duke 
and Duchess and depart to our own rooms. 

The Duke was extremely kind, and had the most cour- 
teous and grand seigneur appearance and manner; his 
wife, Frances Anne, Duchess of JNIarlborough, my 
mother-in-law, was a very remarkable and intelligent 
woman, with a warm heart, particularly for members of 
her family, which made up for any overmasterfulness of 
which she might have been accused. She ruled Blenheim 
and nearly all those in it with a firm hand. At the rustle 
of her silk dress the household trembled. An amusing in- 
stance occurs to me of the way in which her opinion was 
consulted even by distant members of the family. Jane, 
Duchess of Marlborough, who was the third wife of the 
sixth Duke, a simple and amiable woman, asked the 
Duchess what redress she could get for not being invited 
to Court balls, although she attended the Drawing 
Rooms. The Duchess advised her to write to the Lord 
Chamberlain on the subject. A few days later she re- 
ceived a gushing letter from Jane, Duchess, thanking 
her for her advice, which had been most efficacious. "I 
am told it was a clerical error," she added, "although I 
cannot see what the clergy have to do with it." 

81 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Owing to the admirable taste and knowledge of the 
present Duke, people who visit Blenheim to-day and see 
its pictures, tapestries, and art treasures, can scarcely 
believe that it has been shorn of many of its glories. 
When I first went there the far-famed Sunderland Li- 
brary was still in existence. The beautiful old leather 
bindings decorated as nothing else can the immense long 
gallery with its white, carved book-cases and vaulted 
ceiling. Cabinets of Limoges enamels gave the old- 
world look and Renaissance coloring to the Duch- 
ess's sitting-room. There, too, were the "Marlborough 
gems," besides rooms full of priceless Oriental, 
Sevres, and Saxe china. And what of the four hundred 
and fifty pictures all recklessly sold regardless of the 
remonstrances and prayers of the family and without a 
thought of future generations ! Little did Lord Cairns 
think when he made his Act affecting the sale of heir- 
looms that it could be stretched to such a point. No 
doubt a certain number could have been spared, such as 
Rubens's "Progress of Silenus," "Lot and his Daugh- 
ters," and a few others which, though works of art, were 
startling, to say the least, and, oddly enough, hung in 
the dining-room. If familiarity breeds contempt, it also 
engenders indifference, and the most prudish of gover- 
nesses, sitting primly between her charges, never seemed 
to notice these pictures, nor did any members of the 
family. 

The best twenty-five pictures of the collection alone 
were valued at £400,000 [$2,000,000]. Of these the 
"Madonna Ansidei," by Raphael, which had been given 
by the King of Prussia to John, Duke of Marlborough, 
was purchased for a sum of £70,000 [$350,000] by the 
National Gallery; also a portrait of Charles I by Van- 

82 







'^3ba^ 




LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

dyke for £50,000 [$250,000]. Rubens's portrait of 
himself with his wife Helen Forment and infant, and 
another- of his wife and son, were sold for £50,000 
[$250,000] to the late Baron Alphonse de Rothschild. 
Several family portraits, notably "The Fortune-Teller" 
(Lord Henry and Lady Charlotte Spencer) by Sir 
Joshua Reynolds, were sold. Luckily the famous Marl- 
borough Family, also by Sir Joshua, was not allowed to go. 

Many interesting stories are told about this picture. 
"When Sir Joshua went down to Blenheim to paint in 
the younger members of the group, little Lady Anne 
Churchill, a child of four, on being brought into the 
room, drew back, caught hold of the dress of her nurse, 
and cried, 'I won't be painted!' The watchful painter 
immediately transferred a note of the natural attitude 
of the child to the canvas, where we see her clutching the 
dress of her eldest sister, just as he had done with the 
obstreperous young Russell in the Bedford group. To 
account for this attitude, he placed her next eldest sister 
with a mask before her face, as if frightening the 
younger child. This incident is borrowed from an an- 
tique gem, but it is as good an illustration as another of 
Reynolds's facility and resource. 

"It is said, too, that while he was painting the picture 
at Blenlieim he dropped his snuff about, and the 
Duchess, anxious for her carpet, sent a footman to 
sweep it up. 'Go away,' said the painter, with a proper 
sense of his dignity, 'the dust you make will do more 
harm to my picture than my snuff to the carpet.' " 

It surprises me that in Mr. Boulton's book upon Sir 
Joshua Reynolds, from which the above is quoted, he 
should have overlooked the interesting point that the 
young Marquess of Blandford standing near his father 

85 



REMINISCENCES OF 

is holding in his arms one of the ten red jewel cases which 
contained the celebrated Marlborough gems. The 
Duke himself, who during the latter part of the eigh- 
teenth century formed one of the finest collections of 
gems, intaglios and cameos ever made in England, has 
in his hand his favorite sardonyx with a cameo head 
of Augustus. This gem was sold later on for £2,350 
[$11,750]. 

Tourists, with whom most show-places in England are 
infested, abounded at Blenheim, and at certain times of 
the year and for several days in each week one had, for 
a little privacy, to take refuge in one's own rooms. Oc- 
casionally, for fun, some of us would put on old cloaks 
and hats, and, armed with reticules and Baedekers, walk 
round with the tourists to hear their remarks, which were 
not always flattering to the family. One day we nearly 
betrayed ourselves with laughter at one of my com- 
patriots exclaiming before a family picture: "My, what 
poppy eyes these Churchills have got!" 

Foreigners visiting Oxford would often come over to 
see Blenheim. The famous tapestries, representing the 
victorious battles of the first Duke, and given to him by 
various towns, were always an object of great interest. 
On one occasion a Frenchman, who had been listening 
in sullen silence to a glowing account of the French de- 
feats, could stand it no longer. Thrusting his stick 
through a bit of the tapestry representing a fleur de lis 
flag and trophies in the possession of the British, he tried 
to tear it up, shouting with rage, ^'Ce nest pas vrai! ce 
nest jms vrai!" To this day the long rent can be seen. 

This reminds me of my father-in-law's favorite anec- 
dote in respect to Blenheim. I think it was his grand- 

86 




IS GRACE, GEORGE CHARLES, SEVENTH DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

father who had as his guest the French Ambassador of 
the day, evidently a man who was somewhat cynical, not 
to say disagreeable, for he kept asking the Duke most 
unnecessary questions as to who had given this and 
who had given that. "The house, the tapestries, the pic- 
tures—were they all given? And the Raphael— Was 
that the gift of the King of Prussia? Was there any- 
thing that had not been given?" The Duke, slightly an- 
noyed, said at last: "If your Excellency will come with 
me, I will show you one of the glories of Blenheim which 
has not been given." Taking his visitor outside, he 
pointed to the stone trophies and the effigy of Louis 
XIV which adorn the south front of the house, "These," 
he said, "were taken, not given, by John, Duke of Marl- 
borough, from the gates of Tournaic" When the Em- 
peror Frederick, while Crown Prince, once came to stay 
at Blenheim, he was delighted with this story. He was 
a very charming man and during the few days he was 
there made himself most agreeable. Absolutely simple 
in his manners and tastes, English life seemed rather 
luxurious to him. I remember his face of astonishment 
when he saw at breakfast a gold tea-service which was 
produced in his honor. "Ach! much too good, much too 
good," he kept saying, and every morning he spoke of 
its magnificence. 

Among the many new acquaintances I made was that 
of the Duchess of Cleveland, widow of the third Duke, 
one of the grandes dames of a former generation. She 
had a liking for Randolph, and asked him to bring me to 
see her. She was very kind although she received 
me in a ceremonious manner, not shaking hands but 
courtesying. A woman of caustic wit, many stories are 

89 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

told of her and her imperious ways. The family doctor 
having written to her "My dear Duchess," she wrote 
back, "Sir, I am not your dear Duchess." Her succes- 
sor, the late Duchess of Cleveland (Lord Rosebery's 
mother), was an equally interesting character whose 
energy was remarkable. When long past seventy, she 
was still an habitue of the Row, never missing her morn- 
ing gallop. Not long before her death she went to In- 
dia accompanied only by her servants. 

A delightful man who came to stay at Blenheim, was 
Sir Alexander Cockburn, Lord Chief Justice of Eng- 
land. But he was dangerous! One day out shooting, 
while I was walking with him from one covert to an- 
other, he let his gun off by accident. Luckily the shot 
went over my head. "I must be careful," he said plac- 
idly. I fled. I remember asking him what had been the 
most amusing experience of his legal career. In reply 
he told me the story of a young barrister who came into 
court late, having evidently, from his appearance, dined 
well but not wisely, the night before. Sir Alexander 
reprimanded him, asking what excuse he could offer. 
"None," retorted the culprit, "unless it is that I had the 
honor of dining with your lordship last night, and bad 
vdne tells on an empty stomach." This anecdote may 
not be original, but Sir Alexander Cockburn told it to 
me as such. 

When one night the snipe, which abound at Blenheim, 
ran short, the Lord Chief Justice, to his annoyance, was 
given only half of one. On leaving, he wrote in the Vis- 
itors' Book some lines to the eifect that he would share 
almost everything in life, even his wife (he not having 
one) , but not a snipe I 

90 




HER GRACE. FRANCES ANNE, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH 



CHAPTER V 



IRELAND 



IN 1876 we decided to go to America. Owing to 
Randolph having championed his brother Lord 
Blandford in an unfortunate affair in which the 
latter was implicated, he had had serious diiFerences of 
opinion with various influential people, and he felt in 
need of a little solace and distraction. So, in company 
with Mr. Trafford and the late Lord Ilchester, we made 
a flying trip, going first to Canada, where we seemed to 
spend most of the time eating melons and having cold 
baths, so overpowering was the heat. We saw Niagara, 
of course, and made a visit to Newport. Although the 
life there was a great contrast to that of Cowes, savoring 
more of town than of country, we found it one of the 
most fascinating of seaside places, and the hospitality 
and kindness shown us by the friends of my family 
were most gratifying. We also went to Saratoga, where 
the beauty of the ladies, and the gorgeousness of the 
dresses, astonished the men of our party. Having found 
the hotel at that place absurdly expensive, I asked mj^ 
father to remonstrate with the proprietor, who replied: 
"The lord and his wife would have two rooms, hence the 
expense." 

From there we went to the Philadelphia Exhibition 
which occupied us for several days, and was the source 
^ 93 



REMINISCENCES OF 

of great interest and amusement. We were accom- 
panied by my uncle, the late Mr. Lawrence Jerome, fa- 
ther of the present District Attorney of New York, 
William Travers Jerome. While there, my uncle, who 
is remembered as one of the wittiest men of his day, kept 
us in transports of laughter. When we stopped at dif- 
ferent stalls, he would come up to us as though we were 
strangers, and taking up some article or new invention, 
would extol its merits in such an inexpressibly funny 
manner and language that a crowd soon collected, many 
ending by buying the article. Mr. Jerome would then 
receive with pride a commission from the delighted shop- 
man. During our stay we had occasion to meet several 
prominent Philadelphians. I remember one in par- 
ticular, who entertained us vastly, by remarking to Mr. 
Trafford that Randolph was a "bright fellow," but it 
was a pity he had such an "English accent." The same 
man asked me if I knew Cyrus B. Choate, and when I 
answered in the negative, exclaimed, "Not know Cyrus 
B. Choate! Why, he is one of our most magnificent 
humans !" We left Philadelphia with regret, and, stay- 
ing only a few days in New York, returned to England, 
feeling in spite of our short stay invigorated and re- 
freshed by contact with the alert intellects of my com- 
patriots. 

On our arrival in London we found that the Duke 
of Marlborough had been appointed Viceroy of Ireland. 
This post Lord Beaconsfield had pressed him to accept, 
thinking that it might distract his thoughts from certain 
family worries which at that time were weighing rather 
heavily upon him. Hating to be parted from Randolph, 
his father and mother persuaded him to go with them to 

94 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Ireland. Not being in favor with the Court, from which 
London society took its lead, we were nothing loath to 
go. Randolph was to act as unpaid private secretary to 
the Duke. This unofficial post proved to be of the great- 
est interest and value to him, diverting his mind from the 
frivolous society to which he had till then been rather 
addicted and which now had ceased to smile upon him. 

Accomjjanying the new Lord Lieutenant, we took 
part in the State Entry into Dublin, which was con- 
ducted with the usual military display, and viceregal 
etiquette. The Duke in uniform rode with a glittering 
staff round him. The rest of the family, in carriages 
with postilions and outriders, drove through the crowded 
streets to the black and grimy old Castle, which for cen- 
turies has witnessed these processions come and go. 

In view of the repeated attacks made during the last 
century on the Irish Viceroyalty, it is strange that it still 
exists and is apparently flourishing. In the old days of 
slow travel and no telegraph, when it took a week to get 
to Dublin, things were very different, and one can un- 
derstand the pomp and circumstance with which the 
representative of the Sovereign necessarily surrounded 
himself. In India, the Eastern mind has to be impressed 
with the glamour of royalty. In the distant colonies, 
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others, Govern- 
ment House is a great feature, and the governors are 
men of responsibility. But what is the raison d'etre of 
the Dublin Court, which is within a few hours of Lon- 
don and in direct communication by telegraph and tele- 
phone with Downing Street? The Lord Lieutenant, 
however intelligent and ambitious he may be, who is not 
in the Cabinet is but a figurehead, a purveyor of amuse- 

97 



REMINISCENCES OF 

ments for the Irish officials and the Dubhn tradespeople, 
on whom he is obliged to lavish his hospitality and his 
money, with no return and no thanks. The wives of the 
Viceroys labor in good works, each in turn vying with 
the other in charitable ardor. But these philanthropic 
works could be carried on just as well if they did not 
emanate from the Castle. The ingratitude of the people 
must be very disheartening to each successive Viceroy. 
However popular the Lord Lieutenant and his wife may 
have been, however successful their attempts to cajole, 
conciliate and entertain — though out of their private 
means they may have spent money like water — in a week 
all is forgotten. The new regime is paramount: Le roi 
est mort: vive le roi! If the Lord Lieutenant carries out 
with tact and success the policy of the Government, the 
credit is taken by the Ministry. If, on the other hand, 
the policy is a failure, he gets the blame, or, worse still, 
is repudiated in the House of Commons and told that 
the opinion of the Lord Lieutenant is of no account. It 
is a marvel to me that any one can be found to accept so 
ungrateful a post. The Duke of Marlborough was pre- 
ceded by the Duke of Abercorn, whose delightful per- 
sonality and extraordinary good looks were long remem- 
bered. "Old Magnificent," as he was called, was very 
fond of effect, and when making his State Entry into 
Dublin insisted on the ladies of his family wearing long- 
flowing veils, that streamed behind as they drove in the 
procession through the streets. Stories are told of his 
having the Drawing Room stopped while he combed and 
scented his beard, disarranged by the chaste salutes of 
the debutantes, who, if they were pretty, were made to 
pass the dais again. Of late years the Dublin Drawing 

98 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Rooms have become so conventional that they no longer 
afford the amusement they once provided. In old days 
St. Patrick's Ball, which always takes place on the 17th 
of March and marks the close of the season, was a reg- 
ular bear garden, at which sentries were needed to pre- 
vent the company from appropriating the plate as well 
as the food. People picnicked sitting on the floor 
of the supper rooms. As for the clothes, they were fear- 
fully and wonderfully made! Curtains often did duty 
for trains. I have myself seen a lady in a black dress 
with a white train, and, in order to carry out the magpie 
effect, one shoe was white, the other black ! 

Randolph and I, with our boy Winston, took up our 
abode at the Private Secretary's lodge in the Phoenix 
Park. I found the Irish life very pleasant with its 
various occupations and amusements, and I delighted in 
the genial character and ready wit of the people. Dur- 
ing the three years we lived there I cannot remember 
meeting one really dull man. From the Lord Chief 
Justice to the familiar carman, all were entertaining. 

Momentous political work was going on. The Gov- 
ernment was struggling with the feeling of revolt which 
at that time was smoldering beneath the surface, besides 
trying to cope with a famine which was breaking out. 
The Duchess of Marlborough at this juncture came 
forward with her usual energy and started an Irish 
Relief Fund, which ultimately reached the figure of 
<£135,000 [$675,000]. This sum was distributed in such 
a practical and businesslike manner that even the 
Nationalist Press was obliged to praise these viceregal 
endeavors. The success of the scheme added greatly to 
the Duchess's popularity, and to that of the Lord Lieu- 

99 



REMINISCENCES OF 

tenant. Queen Victoria, whose sympathy and appre- 
ciation were always very keen in any matters connected 
with charity, was greatly pleased, and complimented 
the Duchess in the accompanying letter: 

WiNDsoE Castle. April 19, 1880. 
Dear Duchess, 

I, as every one is, am filled with admiration at the indefati- 
gable zeal and devotion with which you have so successfully 
laboured to relieve the distress in Ireland. I am therefore anx- 
ious to mark my sense of your services at this moment when 
alas ! they will so soon be lost to Ireland, and wish to confer on 
you the Third Class of the Victoria and Albert Order. I will 
wait till you come over to invest you with it. 
Believe me always, 

Yours afFectly, 

Victoria, R. I. 

The Duchess was very proud of this letter, and her 
grandson, the present Duke, told me a somewhat pa- 
thetic incident in connection with it. A little while be- 
fore her death she sent for him and gave it to him "to be 
kept in the archives of Blenheim," adding, "I may seem 
a useless old woman now, but this letter will show you I 
was once of some importance and did good in my day." 

Hunting became our ruling passion. Whenever I 
could "beg, borrow or steal" a horse I did so. We had a 
few hunters of our own which we rode indiscriminately, 
being both of us light-weights. Some of my best days 
with the Meath and Kildare hounds I owed to a little 
brown mare I bought from Simmons at Oxford, who 
negotiated the "trappy" fences of the Kildare country, 
and the banks and narrow doubles of Meath as though 

100 




LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL L\ RIDING COSTUME 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

to the manner born. Many were the "tosses" I "took," 
as the Irish papers used to describe them, but it was glo- 
rious sport, and, to my mind, even hunting in Leicester- 
shire later on could not compare with it. With the 
exception of the Ward Union Stag Hounds and the 
Galway Blazers, I think we hunted with nearly every 
pack of hounds in Ireland. 

Colonel Forster, who was then Master of the Horse, 
as he had been to several j^revious viceroys, was a beauti- 
ful rider, and many were the pleasant hunting days we 
had together. I remember once he, Randolph and I sal- 
lying forth, each on a gray,— mine, which I afterward 
sold to the King of the Sandwich Islands, had a tail like 
a shaving-brush, looking for all the world like one of 
Leech's pictures. The trio fancied themselves, to say 
the least of it, and vast sums would not have bought us 
at our own estimation. But alas ! in a very short time our 
pride had a fall in every sense. Colonel Forster's horse 
lamed itself early in the day; Randolph's animal, after 
refusing for half an hour to face a yawning chasm, was 
pushed into it by its irate owner, while mine was caught 
broadside by a heavy gate I was going through, and 
horse and rider were upset in the adjoining deep ditch. 
Luckily I fell clear, but it looked as if I must be crushed 
underneath him, and Randolph, coming up at that mo- 
ment, thought I was killed. A few seconds later, how- 
ever, seeing me all right, in the excitement of the mo- 
ment, he seized my flask and emptied it. For many days 
it was a standing joke against him that I had had the 
fall, and he the whisky ! 

The ready wit of the Irish is proverbial and we had 
many opportunities of judging of it during our stay. 

103 



REMINISCENCES OF 

One day we met our friend Colonel Forster being driven 
to a meet in an Irish car. He was laughing heartily and 
told us that he had just passed a young man riding who 
evidently fancied himself, from the way he was first 
gazing at his boots, then smoothing his coat and patting 
his waistcoat. "Who is it?" inquired Colonel Forster. 
"Ah, bedad, Colonel, I 'm thinking that maybe he is not 
knowing it rightly himself, by the way he is looking at 
himself," answered the car driver. Another witty car- 
man was driving a relation of mine to a meet of the 
Ward Union Hounds, who, fearing to be late, pressed 
him to whip up his horse. "D' ye see that?" said the 
jarvey, pointing to a monument in Glasnevin Cemetery, 
which they were passing. "That was put up to the 

gintleman I was driving the last time I sthruck th' auld 

I" 
mare! 

Returning from Punchestown races once, the crowd 
was so great that the viceregal carriage got blocked, 
when some one, pointing at the aide-de-camp in full uni- 
form and cocked hat who was sitting opposite the Lord 
Lieutenant, shouted, much to the poor man's confusion, 
"Faith, it 's the Captain that 's doin' the escortin' and 
chaperonin' to-day!" 

Every sportsman knows what it is to ride over a coun- 
try while looking out of the window on a railway jour- 
ney. How bold one is! How small the fences seem! 
and how one wishes with Jorrocks that one could be "a 
beagle a-soaring o'er the 'ounds!" Colonel Forster who 
was traveling was vaguely tapping with his fingers on 
the arm of his seat, when a stranger, who was at the op- 
posite window suddenly said, "You were wrong — you 
should have 'trigged' at that fence," meaning that if 

104 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

the Colonel was hunting, which he of course thought he 
must &^,the horse would have kicked back, and this ought 
to have been illustrated by two taps of his fingers, not one. 
At that time the great excitement in the hunting field 
was the advent of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, 
who had taken a place in Meath for a few months. The 
whole country was agog, and crowds used to flock to tTie 
meets to catch a glimpse of her. The Empress, although 
her reputation for physical endurance and love of riding 
was great in the sporting world, astonished every one by 
the indefatigable life she led. Arriving at Summerhill, 
from Vienna, without a break she donned a habit in the 
train, got on a horse, and before going into the house 
went for a school over a small course which had been 
specially prepared by her orders. Lord Langford, the 
owner of Summerhill, had, with much care and at con- 
siderable expense, furnished a boudoir for her which was 
hung in blue damask, and decorated with pictures and 
china. However, before the Empress had been there 
twenty-four hours, disdaining such feminine frivolities, 
she converted it into a gymnasium, in which to exercise 
daily before going out hunting. With a wonderful fig- 
ure and a beautiful seat on a horse her Majesty made a 
fine appearance. She rode gallantly and knew no fear, 
but her riding was of the haute ecole order, and like 
most women she could seldom make a horse gallop. This 
was a source of perpetual worry to her hard-riding pilot. 
Captain Bay Middleton, whose "Come on. Madam, 
come on !" was constantly heard in the field. The Em- 
press wore the tightest of habits buttoned down and 
strapped in every direction, the safety skirt not having 
as yet made its appearance. She found herself in many 

105 



REMINISCENCES OF 

a ditch, and whether she fell clear of her horse or not, it 
was impossible for her to stand up until the buttons and 
straps had been unfastened. Under the circumstances 
it was a marvel that she did not hurt herself. It was her 
invariable custom to ride with a large fan, which she held 
opened between her face and the crowd, whether against 
the rays of the sun or the gaze of the people I never 
made out. Another curious habit of hers was to use 
small squares of rice paper in the Japanese fashion in- 
stead of pocket-handkerchiefs; by these she could be 
traced for miles, as in a paper chase. 

Much to the chagrin of the Viceregal Court the Em- 
press never came near it, not wishing to lose a single 
day's sport while in the country. But all those who came 
in contact with her were fascinated by her graciousness 
and her imposing beauty. It is sad to think that one 
who had never harmed any one, and was beloved by all in 
her own country, should have met a tragic end at the 
hands of an obscure miscreant. 

The following year the Viceroy had occasion to enter- 
tain the Archduke Rudolph, who had come to Ireland on 
a short visit. At a grand ball given in his honor in St. 
Patrick's Hall an unfortunate occurrence happened. 
The Lord Mayor of Dublin being present, and being in 
his own province, had an arm-chair on the dais next to 
the Viceroy, but by some oversight none was placed for 
the Archduke. This gave great offense, and to add to 
the "tempest in a tea-cup," the Lord Mayor was made 
to take precedence of the Heir Apparent of Austria and 
Hungary, and went in to supper before him. Next day 
many apologies were offered and the viceregal staff 
were properly trounced, but the royal visitor, unap- 

106 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

peased, departed. Who could have prophesied that he, 
too, in a few years would come under the ban, and share 
the evil fate of the House of Hapsburg? 

During the three years of the Duke of Marlborough's 
tenure of office we saw a good deal of Ireland, as he took 
various places. At Knockdrin Castle, in Westmeath, 
where we stayed for a few months, we enjoyed the hunt- 
ing, for the foxes were as wild there as the people were 
untamed. We thought nothing of going to the meet 
fifteen or twenty miles on an outside car, and often rode 
our horses to a standstill in very long runs. After one 
of these I remember shocking the Lord Lieutenant's 
local guests by falling asleep during dinner. 

One winter my father-in-law had Lord Sligo's place 
at Westport, County Mayo, where the snipe-shooting 
afforded excellent sport. Among the works of art in the 
house was a celebrated statue of a tinted Venus, whose 
blue eyes and golden locks were rather too realistic to my 
mind for true beauty. In our walks we had many op- 
portunities of seeing the heartrending poverty of the 
peasantry, who lived in their wi'etched mud hovels more 
like animals than himian beings. Alas ! I fear these de- 
plorable conditions must ever prevail in Ireland, where 
neglect and misery have rooted the people in their shift- 
less and improvident habits. No philanthropic scheme 
seems really to touch them. 

We also visited Galway and Connemara, whose me- 
lodious name prepared one for the beauty of its scenery, 
enhanced .as it was by the delights of trout-fishing. 
Muckross Abbey, on the Lake of Killarney, famed alike 
for its shooting and its scenery, had been taken by Lord 
and Lady Wimborne, with whom we often stayed. 

109 



REMINISCENCES OF 

From there we sometimes went over to Kenmare close 
by, one of the show-places of Ireland, where the details 
of the house were carried out in such perfection that 
even the door-handles were made of old watchcases. 

But this magnificence was exceptional and I was 
often reminded of the descriptions in "Charles O'^I al- 
ley" of the improvidence and extravagance of the Irish. 
Sometimes on the roadside one might see a splendid 
gateway, whose stone pillars and iron-wrought gates 
stood in solitary grandeur leading to nothing, all the 
money having been spent on the approach, and none be- 
ing left for the house. 

Among the most delightful personalities I met during 
those three years was Father Healy, vicar of Braj^ near 
Kingsto^^^l. He was one of the most celebrated Irish 
wits of the day, and his genial manner and kind heart 
made him a most pleasant companion. He and INIr. 
Isaac Butt often dined with us at our little house in the 
Phoenix Park. 

JNIr. Butt was very friendly, not to say homely, but 
although he could tell a good story in an amusing way, 
I confess I thought him rather too serious, constantly 
dwelling on the miseries and oppression of his country- 
men. He would appeal to me as an American to agree 
with him and when in rash moments I did, would then 
declare I was a Home Ruler. The words "Home Rule" 
were the invention of Butt. He thought the old cry of 
"Repeal" would frighten the English, while the phrase 
Home Rule would commend itself to every one as rea- 
sonable and innocent. The echoes of our conversations 
would sometimes reach the ears of the Viceroy, and be 
thought great heresy. 

110 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Of our many habitues^ besides Professor Mahaffy of 
Greek fame, Dr. Nedley another Irish wit, Lord Morris, 
and Lord Ashbourne (Lord Chancellor of Ireland), 
Lord Justice FitzGibbon was the most intimate. It 
was there that the friendship began which lasted to 
the end of Randolph's life. FitzGibbon had a house at 
Howth, where every Christmas he assembled a select 
number of boon companions — Randolph invariably 
being of the number. 

Lord Randolph Churchill was obliged to be in Lon- 
don a good deal during this time to attend to his 
parliamentary duties. The letters he wrote to me in 
Ireland were full of politics. 

S. James' Club. Piccadilly. W. 

January 28, 1878. 

I missed the afternoon post because the discussion lasted till 
eight o'clock. I am sure the debate will be very stormy. I am 
in great doubt what to do. I think I could make a telling speech 
against the Government, but old Bentinck got hold of me to-day 
and gave me a tremendous lecture. Of course I have my future 
to think of, and I also have strong opinions against the Govern- 
ment policy. It is very difficult. I shan't decide till the last 
night of debate, which won't be till next Monday or Tuesday, 
so my departure for Ireland will be postponed. 

Northcote made a very feeble speech to-night and the country 
every day gets more and more against the Government. Rus- 
sia's terms of peace are monstrous, but after all it concerns Aus- 
tria so much more than us, and if she won't move we are 
practically powerless. 

I had a pleasant evening last night at Dilke's. . . . Harcourt, 

111 



REMINISCENCES OF 

G. Trevelyan, Dicey, editor of "The Observer," and Sir Henry 
Maine. Harcourt was very amusing. You need not be afraid 
of these Radicals, they have no influence on me further than I 
hke to go, but I hate the Government. . . . 

My visits to London at that time were few and far be- 
tween, but on one of these, in the summer of 1878, 1 had 
the privilege of going with a few other ladies to the 
"Peace with Honor" banquet which was given in the 
Wellington Riding School in honor of Lord Beacons- 
field and Lord Salisbury on their return from their suc- 
cessful particij^ation in the Berlin Conference. I went 
with the Duchess of Wellington, arm-chairs being 
placed in the center of the huge building. It was a 
wonderful sight, and the enthusiasm was boundless when 
Lord Beaconsfield, looking like a black sphinx, rose to 
speak. It was on that occasion that, pointing with a 
scornful finger at Mr. Gladstone, he declared that he 
was "inebriated with the exuberance of his own 
verbosity." 

The following year, the Duke of Marlborough having 
given up the Viceroyalty and left Ireland for good, we 
also departed, returning to London. 

In the summer of 1881 Randolph and I went again to 
the United States on a short visit. When in New York 
we heard of the Phoenix Park murders. The Kilmain- 
ham Treaty had just been arranged, Parnell having 
promised to put down outrage. Mr. Forster had re- 
signed, and Lord Frederick Cavendish had been ap- 
pointed Chief Secretary for Ireland in his place. I 
remember a reporter calling at my father's house in 
Madison Square and telling me the news. We were 

112 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

greatly shocked and could hardly believe it until it was 
confirmed the next day. I had never met Lord Fred- 
erick Cavendish, but Mr. Burke, the other victim, who 
with his sister lived at the Under Secretary's lodge in 
the Phoenix Park, we knew quite well. The outcome 
of this dastardly deed was of course the Prevention of 
Crimes Act, which was passed at once. 

Curiously enough, I had occasion later to see the 
murderers, just before their condemnation. Although 
we had left Ireland, I rarely missed paying a visit, either 
to the Castle during the season, or to the Viceregal 
Lodge for the Punchestown races. 

I was staying in Dublin for the Horse Show when I 
met an official of Kilmainliam Gaol, who, owing a debt 
of gratitude to Randolph, wanted to show me some 
civility, and therefore thought of nothing better than to 
invite me to see Kilmainham and the murderers. I con- 
fess that I did not feel any great desire for this enter- 
tainment, but being told that it was nearly impossible 
to get permission to see them, and that without excep- 
tion no one was allowed in the prison, I began to feel 
more interested. Under the seal of the greatest secrecy 

I found my way to the gaol, where I met Mr. . He 

took me into a small room and told me to stand behind 
his chair while he interviewed the prisoners one by one. 
They looked apprehensively toward me, but my friend 
reassured them by saying they need not mind as I was a 
relation. He only kept them a minute or two putting 
some trivial questions. The youngest of them, as he was 
passing out, suddenly turned and asked me to help his 
wife if he "had to go." This depressed me dreadfully, 
nor were my spirits raised by being taken round the 

115 



REMINISCENCES OF 

prison by the Governor, whom Mr. had somehow 

"squared." The tier upon tiers of tiny cells, each con- 
taining a miserable-looking man, the food brought in 
baskets which I saw prodded through and through with 
swords for fear that something might be smuggled in 
them, were a more than unpleasant sight. I saw Carey, 
the informer, who was occupying the same room in 
which Parnell had been imprisoned. Carey was in his 
shirt-sleeves and glared at us. Just as I was going to 
leave and while standing in the middle of the building, 

talking to the Governor and Mr. , an electric bell 

rang and a warder came running up and whispered 
something to the Governor. He became rather pale and 
passed his news on to my friend, who seemed equally dis- 
turbed. They both looked at me, and when I asked 
what had happened, the Governor said the Inspector- 
General was coming to pay a surprise visit to the prison 
and was at that moment at the gates, and that if I were 
found there without a permit signed by the Lord Lieu- 
tenant, they would get into great trouble. "Well, let 
me fly," I exclaimed. "Impossible," they cried; "there 
is no outlet." "Well, hide me." "You can't hide in a 
prison!" "One moment," said the Governor hesi- 
tatingly, "would you mind a cell?" "Of course not," I 
replied, and forthwith I was hurried into a cell— a black 
cell, as being safer from the Inspector's prying eyes. 
The door was shut on me, and I felt not "on velvet," but 
in velvet of the blackest dye. After a time the velvet 
became thick black wool, and I was certain it was clos- 
ing round me. Hours seemed to pass and I began to 
think I was forgotten. My mind wandered from black 
wool to rats— and I felt sure I saw little beady eyes 

116 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

looking at me, when the door opened just in time to 
save me from screaming. I was in that cell twenty 
minutes at the outside, but it was enough of such an ex- 
perience. Later I could not help laughing to think of 
the face of the Inspector — an acquaintance, by the way 
— had he happened to visit my dungeon. I kept my 
counsel for more than three years after the execution of 
those wretched men, and never mentioned my visit to a 
soul for fear of doing harm. 

Under such terrorism did every one live at that time 
in Ireland that Lord Spencer, who was then Viceroy, 
never moved without an escort of Constabulary even 
when hmiting. It was comical to see them in full uni- 
form, their swords bounding in the air as they careered 
over the fences after the sporting Lord Lieutenant. 

During the Jubilee year of Queen Victoria I revisited 
the Viceregal Court when Lord Londonderry was Vice- 
roy. Ireland was again suffering under the Crimes Bill, 
which had been carried by the closure. Mr. Balfour 
(than whom, with his back to the wall, there is no better 
fighter) was Chief Secretary, and was beginning that 
policy of repression which only a strong man could have 
carried out. There was much unrest in the country and 
the air was full of disquietude and rumors. The Gov- 
ernment no doubt was again going through anxious 
times, but the visitors at the Castle saw only the sunny 
side. The festivities of the Dublin season were taking 
place with perhaps even more animation than usual, 
owing to the popularity of the Lord Lieutenant and 
Lady Londonderry, who was not only a perfect hostess, 
but the most indefatigable worker in the many chari- 
table schemes she had set on foot. Later, when having 

6 ^^y^ 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

left Ireland she returned to London, her salon became 
and has continued to be a political center, of which she 
is the presiding genius. An omniverous reader, blessed 
with a retentive memory, her conversational powers are 
great, and her influence and interest in the political 
world have been most valuable to her family and 
friends. If her receptions are perhaps too crowded, the 
battalions of a large Conservative Party are to blame. 
Everything that year was dubbed "Jubilee," from 
knights and babies to hats and coats. "God save the 
Queen" was heard ad nauseam on every conceivable oc- 
casion, until the tune became an obsession. This led to 
a practical joke at the Castle which caused much amuse- 
ment. One morning, speaking of the Jubilee craze, I 
pretended that I had received as an advertisement a 
"Jubilee bustle" which would play "God save the Qu^en" 
v/hen the wearer sat down. This, of course, created 
much curiosity and laughter. Having promised to put 
it on, I took my hosts into my confidence. An aide-de- 
camp was pressed into the service, and armed with a 
small musical box was made to hide under a particular 
arm-chair. While the company was at luncheon I re- 
tired to don the so-called "Jubilee wonder," and when 
they were all assembled I marched in solemnly and 
slowly sat down on the arm-chair where the poor aide-de- 
camp was hiding his cramped limbs. To the delight and 
astonishment of every one the National Anthem was 
heard gently tinkling forth. Every time I rose it 
stopped ; every time I sat down, it began again. I still 
laugh when I think of it and of the astonished faces 
about me. 



118 



CHAPTER VI 

LONDON, 1880 — POLITICAL LIFE 

THE new Parliament of 1880 found us established 
with our household gods in the little house we 
had taken in London in St. James's Place. It 
was next door to Sir Stafford Northcote, then leader of 
the Opposition. Little did the kind old gentleman 
realize at that time his proximity to the hornets' nest 
which was being built by the Fourth Party. 

Randolph had been reelected for Woodstock, defeat- 
ing the Liberal candidate, Mr. W. Hall. The contest 
was not an exciting one, although many of the constit- 
uents were dissatisfied and full of grumblings and 
complaints. They fancied themselves neglected, from 
the owners of Blenheim being absent in Ireland for so 
many years. Nevertheless, I was confident that we 
should win, having too many good friends in the constit- 
uency to fear a rebuff. 

Randolph, whose interest in politics had become very 
keen during his stay in Ireland, now became entirely ab- 
sorbed by them. During this session the Bradlaugh in- 
cident arose in which he took so prominent a part. I, 
too, caught the fever, and went frequently to the House 
of Commons, listening with growing interest to the 
debates. The Ladies' Gallery, for which one ballots, 

119 



REMINISCENCES OF 

and the Speaker's Gallery, to which one is invited by the 
Speaker's wife, were not in those days the fashionable 
places of resort they have since become. Only a few 
ultra-political ladies frequented them. In the Speaker's 
Gallery, Mrs. Gladstone, picturesque and dignified, al- 
ways occupied a reserved seat, from which she was sel- 
dom absent. Miss Balfour, too, was generally there. 
Mrs. Cavendish Bentinck, a tall, handsome woman, 
whose flashing eyes and raven locks had gained for her 
among her friends the name of "Britannia," and whose 
son married Miss Livingston of New York, was also an 
habitue and literally seemed to live there. Later, Mrs. 
Chamberlain joined the group. But the gay butterflies 
of society thought it too serious a place for them. Now, 
however, this has quite changed. The present generation 
are full of the desire of being, or appearing to be, 
serious. To be beautiful and rich is not sufficient; the 
real social leaders of to-day are not content with these 
accidents of birth and fortune. They aspire to political 
influence, or to be thought literary and artistic, and 
society follows the lead. For an interesting debate, or 
to hear a popular politician, they will make strenuous 
efl'orts to get into the Speaker's Gallery. On such an 
occasion, many of the youngest and prettiest women in 
London can be found there. Hidden in Eastern fashion 
from masculine sight, fifty or more will sometimes crowd 
into the small, dark cage to which the ungallant British 
legislators have relegated them. The ladies in the first 
row, in a cramped attitude, with their knees against the 
grille, their necks craned forward, and their ears pain- 
fully on the alert if they wish to hear anything, are sup- 
posed to enjoy a great privilege. Those in the second 

120 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

row, by the courtesy of the first, may get a peep of the 
gods below. The rest have to fall back on their imagi- 
nation or retire to a small room in the rear, where they 
can whisper and have tea. Some take the opportunity 
to polish off their correspondence, hoping, perhaps, that 
these letters, written on House of Commons paper, may 
convey a political flavor to the unpolitical recipients. 
Silence is supposed to be de rigueur, but the thread of 
many an interesting speech has been lost in the buzz of 
stage whispers and the coming and going of restless 

ones. "Is that Mr. ?" exclaims a pretty blonde to 

her neighbor. "Do lend me your glasses. Yes, it is he. 
I wonder if he would dine with me to-night." (" 'Sh!" 
comes from a relative of the man who is speaking.) 
"We are thirteen — so tiresome. I think I must send 
him a note by the usher." (" 'Sh!") "I can get the 
answer at once — so convenient." ("'Sh!" " 'Sh!") 
"Who is that odious woman hushing me? Darlmg, 
keep my chair; I will return in a moment," and amid a 
jingling of beads arid chains and a frou-frou of silk 
petticoats, the fair one flies to scribble her note. Mean- 
while the front row settles down once more to the speech 
to which they are listening. "What an immoral argu- 
ment! Just like a Radical's impudence to say such 
things!" exclaims in no dulcet tones a Conservative 
peeress, who would be better occupied waking up her 
lord in the Upper House, than crowding out the wife of 
some Member of Parliament in the Lower. 

"Be careful!" says her neighbor; "his wife is next to 

you." 

These are specimens of the remarks one sometimes 
hears. I remember an enthusiastic wife whose husband 

123 



REMINISCENCES OF 

was making an important speech, betraying her too in- 
timate knowledge of it by giving her unwilling listener 
the best points beforehand. Next to speaking in public 
oneself, there is nothing which produces such feelings of 
nervousness and apprehension as to hear one's husband 
or son make a speech. There is no doubt, however, that 
the frequent recurrence of it minimizes the ordeal, par- 
ticularly if the speakers are sure of themselves. In this 
respect I can claim to being specially favored, though 
Randolph, even after years of practice and experience, 
was always nervous before a speech until he actually 
stood up. This subject reminds me of a painful sight I 
once saw at a big political meeting. A young member 
of Parliament with more acres than brains, who sat for 
a family pocket borough, was making his yearly address 
to his constituents. Shutting his eyes tight and clench- 
ing his hands, he began in a high falsetto voice: "Bro- 
thers and sisters, Conservatives!" and for thirty minutes 
he recited, or rather gabbled, the speech he had learned 
by heart, while his wife, with her eyes riveted on him, 
and with tears pouring down her cheeks from nervous- 
ness, unconsciously, with trembling lips, repeated the 
words he was uttering. 

Those years (1880-84) of political activity when the 
Fourth Party was at its zenith, were full of excitement 
and interest for me. Our house became the rendezvous 
of all shades of politicians. jNIany were the plots and 
plans which were hatched in my presence by the Fourth 
Party, who, notwithstanding the seriousness of their en- 
deavors, found time to laugh heartily and often at their 
own frustrated machinations. How we used to chaff 
about the "goats," as we called the ultra-Tories and 

124 



LADY RANDOLPH CHLTICHILL 

followers of Sir StaflFord Xorthcote! Great was to be 
their fall and destruction. 

Sir Henry Dmmmond Wolff, whom I had met at 
Cowes before my marriage, was a godsend if anything 
went wrong, and a joke from him saved many a situa- 
tion. With a pink-and-white complexion that a girl 
might have envied, and a merrj^ twinkle in the eyes 
which hid behind a pair of spectacles, he was the best of 
company. But I confess I thought rather dangerous his 
habit of treating the most serious questions in a flippant 
manner, and of turning everji;hing into ridicule. Some- 
times, to hear him and Randolph discussing the situa- 
tion, the uninitiated might have thought the subject was 
a game of chess. It is sad to think that Fortune has 
been so little kind to Sir Henr}% for, notwithstanding 
his many services to the State and his private life of 
unselfishness and abnegation, cares and misfortunes 
have come heavily upon him in his old age. 

Sir John Gorst— then Mr. Gorst— was a very differ- 
ent type of man from Sir Henry Wolff. His stern 
countenance behed him, and he could make himself very 
pleasant. I remember his defending me in some trivial 
case in the. County Court, and winning it; the appear- 
ance of a Queen's Counsel in silk go\Mi and wig creating 
a sensation. Randolph accompanied us, and we drove 
away in a four-wheeler, feeling very triumphant until 
the wheel came off, and we were ignominiously pre- 
cipitated into the street. 

Sir John had a music-losing soul, and many were the 
occasions when he and I and Arthur Balfour went off to 
the "Monday Pops," to listen to the sweet strains of 
.Joachim and Xorman Xeruda. My fashionable and 

125 



REMINISCENCES OF 

frivolous friends, spying the three of us walking to- 
gether, often teased me about my "weird" companions, 
one solemn with beard and eye-glass, the other esthetic 
with long hair and huge spats. Mr. Balfour's know- 
ledge of music was remarkable, considering the little 
time he was able to devote to it, and he was no mean 
performer at the piano, reading and playing classical 
music. We often played Beethoven or Schumann to- 
gether. But it was not without difficulty that he could 
get away from his parliamentary duties, which increased 
yearly, and often I was disappointed of his company, as 
shown by the following letter : 

1883 House of Commons. 

My dear Lady Randolph : 

I am groaning and swearing on this beastly bench : while you 
are listening to Wagnerian discords, I am listening to Irish 
grumblings — there is a great deal of brass in both of them; 
otherwise there is not much resemblance! I am sitting next 

, I might be sitting next you! I am an unhappy victim. 

However, there is no choice, Monday night is a most unlucky 
one for Richter : the Irish have a talent for turning everything 
into an Irish debate ; and v/hen the Irish speak I must answer, as 
I have just been endeavoring to do ! 

Your miserable servant, 

Arthue James Balfour. 

As regards the Fourth Party, I was full of grievances 
against Mr. Balfour. He never seemed quite certain 
whether he belonged to it or not ; it depended how Ran- 
dolph, Wolff, and Gorst were behaving, how much his 
uncle. Lord Salisbury, remonstrated, or how political 
events were shaping themselves for the party. If badly, 

126 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Mr. Balfour would, as I often had reason to tell him, 
"retirer son epingle du jeu" and repudiate with indigna- 
tion the idea that he was a member of it. This did not 
prevent him, however, from secretly hankering after 
the "wicked" three, whose company had for him all the 
fascination of forbidden fruit. Be it as it may, History, 
that often untruthful jade, will probably write him 
down as the fourth member of the party, although he 
may have only coquetted with it. A contemporary 
says of him, "An apostle of modern intelligence, a de- 
positary of universal knowledge, a standard of mental 
infallibility, ]VIr. Balfour would have constituted an 
important Party in himself if he had not been a chosen 
vessel designed by nature, by culture, and by the eternal 
fitness of things to be the Fourth Party's fourth man." 
During the time that Randolph and his friends were 
struggling in Opposition, Sir William Harcourt, Sir 
Charles Dilke, and Mr. Joseph Chamberlain came fre- 
quently to our house. This was looked upon with much 
disapproval by the "goats," who regarded these poli- 
ticians as very dangerous company for young people 
properly imbued with true Conservative principles. The 
Duke of JVIarlborough, my father-in-law, was particu- 
larly incensed, and took Randolph seriously to task for 
having had Mr. Chamberlain to dinner — "a man who 
was a Socialist, or not far from one; who was reputed to 
have refused to drink the Queen's health when Mayor of 
Birmingham," etc. "How could the influence of such a 
man be anything but pernicious?" Indeed, London so- 
ciety thought as much, and since we were not in favor 
at Court at that time, this association with advanced 
Radicals was made another subject of grievance against 

127 



REMINISCENCES OF 

us. Randolph, however, pursued the even tenor of his 
way, and I am glad to think that, notwithstanding their 
sometimes very acute political differences, he remained 
to the end of his life an ardent admirer and friend of 
Mr. Chamberlain. 

Sir William and Lady Harcourt used to give the 
most delightful dinners and parties at their house in 
Grafton Street, restricted enough in numbers to make 
conversation possible. Unlike the present day, people 
were content to remain where they were being enter- 
tained, and were not troubled with anxiety to be seen at 
half a dozen places in the course of one evening. The 
pleasantest people in London were to be met there, at- 
tracted not only by Sir William's wit and conversation, 
but also by Lady Harcourt's geniality and her art of 
making every one feel at home. I was always proud to 
think that the daughter of that most illustrious historian, 
Motley, was a compatriot. I remember at one of these 
dinners having an amusing passage-at-arms with my 
host. Sir Charles Dilke, and Mr. Chamberlain. At that 
period I had taken up painting very violently, martyr- 
izing many models, paid and unpaid, covering miles of 
canvas with impossible daubs, and spending a small for- 
tune in paints and pigments. My first picture, a life- 
size copy in oils of Sant's "Inexorable" was to my dis- 
comfiture mistaken by an admiring friend for a brilliant 
piece of wool-work! My three Radical friends having 
been told of my artistic efforts, chaffingly implored me 
to hand them down to posterity by painting their por- 
traits. "Why refuse to paint us?" "Where can you 
find more attractive or noble models!" "Come, here is a 
chance to immortalize yourself and us." 

128 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

"Impossible," I cried. "I should fail; I could never 
paint you black enough." 

I used to accompany Randolph to most of his political 
gatherings in the country. We would stay with some 
local magnate, who probably would be taking the chair 
at the meeting. Men on those occasions fare better than 
their women folk, for, on the plea of having to prepare 
speeches, they can seek the solitude of their rooms. Not 
so the wife, who has to sit, perhaps for hours, talking 
platitudes to the wives and daughters of the political 
supporters who have been invited to meet her. But their 
desire to please, and the hospitality they so cordially ex- 
tend to one, make up for it. On these social-political 
experiences, the late Lord Goschen, a personal friend, 
often compared notes with me. 

House of Commons, S. W. 

17th August. 
Dear Lady Randolph : 

I telegraphed to you yesterday to Penn, that I am extremely 
sorry that I could not accept your fascinating invitation. That 
is to say, this was the substance of the telegram : I did not put it 
so warmly to the telegraph clerk. We have a party of friends 
coming to us in the country to-day, so that I am due at home to 
entertain them — we are further from London than you, but not 
too far to get friends for the Sunday. I indeed want fresh air 
and a "rest from the House and all its inmates." 

We hang on here in a deplorable condition, without amuse- 
ments, and without ladies, without any interests except the dy- 
ing interests of a dull Session. Sometimes a stray woman ap- 
pears on the terrace, but what is that among so many.'' "Souls" 
and bodies have equally vanished. I wonder which Mr. Russell 
has said or written what about me, where? Anyhow, I do not 

131 



REMINISCENCES OF 

know that I possess the particular characteristics you mention. 
But if I did, I should certainly not think you "one of my fail- 
ures" . . . for your extracted talk has always interested me 
extremely, so much so that there is not a woman in London I 
like more to take Into dinner if I get the chance. As I know 
that you and all Americans hate compliments I must apologize 
for the last sentence. 

The division bell is ringing and disturbs my memories. 
Please remember that my pen is only dipped in a House of Com- 
mons inkstand, and not In such a romantic inkstand as that 
which emanated from your first literary earnings.^ So you 
must forgive me if I have written a mere Philistine letter. 

Yours very sincerely, 

George G. Goschen. 

Of all the statesmen I have met, I think the late Lord 
Salisbury and Mr. Gladstone were the pleasantest com- 
panions at dinner. Both had the happy knack of seem- 
ing vastly interested in one's conversation, whatever the 
subject, or however frivolous. There was no condescen- 
sion or "tempering of the wind to the shorn lamb" about 
it. At the same time, I must own that any feeling of ela- 
tion for having had, as one considered, a success was 
speedily destroyed; for the next woman, whoever she 
might be, who had the privilege of sitting beside either 
of these great men, would receive exactly the same cour- 
teous attention. As for Mr. Gladstone, having once 
started him on his subject, an intelligent "Yes" or "No" 
was all that was required. But if you ventured a remark 
(to which he listened in grave silence), he had a discon- 

1 Speaking once of a common friend who was famous for his epistolary style, 
I had related to Lord Goschen how I had sent this friend a present of an ink- 
stand ( paid for out of my first literary earnings ) as a gentle hint that I wished 
for a letter from him. 

132 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

certing way of turning sharply round, his piercing eye 
fixed inquiringly upon you, and his hand to his ear, with 
the gesture so well known to the House of Conunons. 
His old-world manner was very attractive, and his ur- 
banity outside the House remarkable. On one occasion 
1 had been at the House hearing Randolph make a fiery 
attack on him, which he answered with equal heat and 
indignation. The hour was late, and Randolph and I 
had just time to rush home and dress to dine at Spencer 
House with Lord and Lady Spencer. The first person 
I met as I went in was Mr. Gladstone, who at once came 
up and said: "I hope Lord Randolph is not too tired 
after his magnificent effort." What an object lesson to 
those foreign politicians who would look upon it as an 
insult to be asked to meet in the same house ! 

The autumn of 1883 was marked by the formation of 
the Primrose League, which subsequently proved to be 
an event of great political importance, and a tower of 
strength to the Conservative Party. 

The Fourth Party, with the exception of Mr. Bal- 
four, and the addition of Sir Alfred Slade, had drawn 
up the statutes and ordinances of this new political so- 
ciety, which was to "embrace all classes and all creeds 
except atheists and enemies of the British Empire." Sir 
Henry Wolff, who had originated the idea from seeing 
Conservatives wearing primroses on the anniversary of 
Lord Beaconsfield's death, came to Blenheim, where I 
was staying at the time, to initiate us. 

All the female members of the family who happened 
to be there w^re enrolled as dames, and were given a 
badge and a numbered diploma. Mine was No. 11. The 
Duchess of Marlborough was made President of the 

135 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Ladies' Grand Council, which was being formed. I 
must say we laughed imjuoderately over the grandil- 
oquent names— the "Knights Harbingers" (or "Night 
refugees," as we dubbed them), the "Ruling Council- 
lors," the "Chancellor of the League," "Dames," "Dame 
President," "Habitations," and what not. We criticized 
freely the Brummagem gaudy badges and "ye ancient" 
diplomas printed on vellum. Little did we know the 
power the League was to become. As a "dame," I was 
determined to do all I could to further its aims. The 
first years of its existence were a struggle. The wearing 
of the badge exposed one to much chaff, not to say ridi- 
cule; but we persisted. Recruits joined "surely, if 
slowly," and to-day, after twenty-one years of existence, 
the League can boast of having 1,703,708 knights, 
dames, and associates upon its rolls, and of having ma- 
terially helped to keep the Conservative Party in power 
twenty years. 

For many years I worked strenuously on behalf of 
the League. I became the "Dame President" of many 
Habitations, and used to go all over the country in- 
augurating them. The opening ceremonies were often 
quaint in their conceptions, a mixture of grave and gay, 
serious and frivolous — speeches from members of Par- 
liament, interspersed with songs and even recitations, 
sometimes of a comical nature. The meeting would end 
with the enrolment of converts. 

A strange medley, the laborer and the local magnate, 
the county lady and the grocer's wife, would troop up 
and sign the roll. Politics, like charity, are a great 
leveler. The late Lady Salisbury, when President of 
the Ladies Executive Council of the Primrose League, 

136 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

once at a committee meeting rebuked a member who 
thought that a certain form of entertainment to be held 
at one of the Primrose League Habitations, though 
attractive to the masses, might be thought shghtly vul- 
gar. "Vulgar? Of course it is vulgar," exclaimed the 
President; "but that is why we have got on so well." 

Among the many entertainments of this kind, I par- 
ticularly remember going with Mr. Balfour to Man- 
chester just before the general elections of 1886 to open 
a large Habitation. A few days later, on the seventh 
of June, Mr. Gladstone was defeated on his Home 
Rule Bill. In view of this, I permit myself to give my 
remarks on the occasion, as they proved prophetic. 

Trembling with excitement, my notes hidden in my 
fan, I said: 

"I am proud to have the privilege of inaugurating this 
most important Habitation. It is not necessary for me 
to dilate on the usefulness of the Primrose League. We 
have had ample proof of the great work it did at the 
recent General Election (1885), and we shall soon have 
an opportunity of showing to our opponents that not 
only is its power undiminished, but that it is increased 
tenfold. But to make this a certainty, I think that every 
member of the Primrose League must put his or her 
shoulder to the wheel. When Mr. Gladstone appears in 
his new role of undertaker, let us hope that, with the ex- 
ception of a few hypocritical mourners, he may be left 
to bury his doomed Bill alone. When that melancholy 
rite is accomplished, and he appeals to the country, I 
trust with all my heart that it will answer with one voice 
in favor of that Party which is pledged to support all 
that is dear to England— religion, law, order, and the 

137 



REMINISCENCES OF 

unity of the Empire." The local press were good 
enough to add that "Lady Randolph was ably supported 
by Lord Salisbury's nephew, Mr. Balfour, M.P. I" 

The year 1883 saw us in a new house in Connaught 
Place. "Tyburnia," our friends called it, as on the rail- 
ings opposite our windows, which faced Hyde Park, 
there was a small tablet to mark the site of Tyburn Gate. 
Often I thought of the thousands of poor wretches who 
had been hanged there, and sometimes wondered if the 
house would be full of wailing ghosts: but frankly I 
never saw or heard one. 

I was very much occupied that winter furnishing, and 
disposing in the new house what my brother-in-law 
Blandford used to call my "stage properties." In a 
former house which we had bought shortly after our 
marriage, I had, in my ignorance of the climate, covered 
the walls with silks and stuffs, and nearly cried with 
dismay when I saw the havoc wrought upon them by the 
fogs and smuts of the dirtiest of towns. My dearly 
bought experience stood me in good stead when furnish- 
ing again. The paneling and clean white paint, which is 
so popular to-day, formed the principal decoration of 
our next dwelling, which, by the way, was the first pri- 
vate house in London to have electric lights. We had a 
small dynamo placed in a cellar underneath the street, 
and the noise of it greatly excited all the horses as they 
approached our door. The light was such an innovation 
that much curiosity and interest were evinced to see it, 
and people used to ask for permission to come to the 
house. I remember the fiasco of a dinner party we gave 
to show it off, when the light went out in the middle of 
the feast, just as we were expatiating on its beauties, our 

138 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

guests having to remain in utter darkness until the 
lamps and candles, which had been relegated to the lower 
regions, were unearthed. The electric light did not 
prove to us an unmitigated blessing, inasmuch as Ran- 
dolph, having spoken enthusiastically in the House of 
Commons in favor of an Electric Lighting Bill, felt he 
could no longer accept the gift of the installation which 
by way of an advertisement a company had offered to 
put into our house, free of cost. Unfortunately, there 
being no contract, we were charged double or treble the 
real price. It is curious how fond one can become of in- 
animate objects apart from their intrinsic value. We 
had many nice bits of old furniture which we had picked 
up in Dublin, where they had found their way from the 
dismantled houses of impecunious Irish landlords. 
Things could be bought cheaply in those days, the artis- 
tic craze being confined to the eclectic few. Now col- 
lecting millionaires have bought up nearly everything, 
and what is left is held at fabulous prices. On the other 
hand, owing to the taste of the present day, the "House 
Beautiful" is now within the reach of all. We are far 
from the heavy and uncomfortable monstrosities of the 
Early Victorian epoch. Taste and common-sense, with 
a desire for knowledge, even if allied to a limited purse, 
will go farther nowadays to please the eye of the senses 
than the riches of a Crcesus spent for him by upholster- 
ers. Once the eye is accustomed to the purest styles and 
perfect models, it unconsciously rejects base imitations 
and inharmonious lines; just as the man who lives sur- 
rounded by fine pictures even if he be not an artist, re- 
tains an impression of the warmth and beautiful coloring 
of the masterpieces. 
' 139 



REMINISCENCES OF 

I remember coming across some large painted panels 
which I found in an old shop in the City. Al- 
though grimy and in a deplorable condition, I thought 
I detected in them real merit. My sojourn at Blen- 
heim among those glorious pictures, I suppose, had 
educated my eye. The owner wanted some £300 
for them, for which they were to be restored and 
put into good order. Full of my trouvaille,, I rushed 
home with a glowing tale, in the hopes of persuading 
Randolph to buy them. I found him with Mr. Balfour 
and Sir Henry Wolff, discussing the merits of "Elijah's 
Mantle," which he had just written for the "Fort- 
nightly." The laughter it provoked reached my ears as 
I subsequently sat in my drawing-room looking at its 
bare walls, which, alas! had to remain so. "Three hun- 
dred pounds — preposterous! Besides, we cannot afford 
it" — so Randolph settled the question. I reluctantly 
gave up the panels, which were sold shortly afterward, 
and turned out to be Morland's, worth to-day perhaps 
£7000 or £8000! 

London was very animated that season. Randolph's 
growing prominence in the political world was attract- 
ing considerable attention in the social, and we were 
bombarded with invitations of every kind. The fashion- 
able world, which had held aloof, now began to smile 
upon us once more. Most people in the course of a life- 
time get to know the real value of "the Mammon of Un- 
righteousness," but few learn their lesson so early. We 
both profited by it. Personally I would never give up 
anything by which I really set store for the sake of its 
unsatisfactory approbation. 

A curious phase had come over society. Publicity be- 

140 




ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

came the fashion, although it was mild in comparison 
with that which exists to-day. People live much more 
before the public than they did. Privacy seems a lux- 
ury no one is allowed to indulge in— even the most unin- 
teresting must be interviewed ; their houses, their tastes, 
their habits, photographs of themselves in their sanctum, 
all are given to the "man in the street." The craze for 
exhibiting the photographs of "Ladies of Quality," as 
they would have been called in the eighteenth century, 
was a novelty which brought forth much comment. The 
first time mine found its way into a shop, I was severely 
censured by my friends, and told I ought to prosecute 
the photographer. 

So great was the license allowed to the public that 
some ladies who had taken London by storm were pub- 
licly mentioned as "Professional Beauties." Conspicu- 
ous among them were Mrs. Langtry and Mrs. Wheeler. 
A fierce war of opinion as to their rival merits raged 
about them. 

Artists extolled Mrs. Langtry's classical Greek pro- 
file, golden hair, and wonderful columnlike throat, graced 
with the three ""plis de Venus" which made her an ideal 
subject for their brushes and chisels. So great was the 
enthusiasm created by the beauty of the "Jersey Lily," 
as she was called, that in the height of the season I have 
seen people standing on chairs in the Row to get a peep 
at her. Professor Newton on one occasion lectured at 
King's College on Greek art. Mrs. Langtry, as a living 
exponent of the classical type which the professor was 
describing, sat in a prominent place facing the audience. 
In one of his letters to me while I was in Ireland, Ran- 
dolph writes: "I dined with Lord WharnchfFe last 

143 



REMINISCENCES OF 

night, and took in to dinner a Mrs. Langtry, a most 
beautiful creature, — quite unknown, very poor, and they 
say has but one black dress." 

Mrs. Wheeler was quite different with dark hair and 
deep gray-blue eyes, which held you by their gentle, ap- 
pealing expression. She was very fascinating. 

For a time no party was considered complete or suc- 
cessful without these ladies. People would receive invi- 
tations with "Do come; the P. Bs. will be there." This 
meant the certain attendance of society. On which a poet 
( saving the mark ! ) of the day wrote the following verses : 

First Lady Dudley did my sense enthral. 

Whiter than chisei'd marble standing there, 

The Juno of our earth, "divinely tall, 
!A.nd most divinely fair." 

And next with all her wealth of hair unroll'd. 
Was Lady Mandeville, bright eyed and witty ; 

And Miss Yznaga whose dark cheek recall'd 
Lord Byron's Spanish ditty. 

The Lady Castlereagh held court near by, 

A very Venus, goddess fair of love. 
And Lady Florence Chaplin nestled nigh. 

Gentle as Venus' dove. 

As gipsy dark, with black eyes like sloes, 

A foil for Violet Lindsay, sweetly fair, 
Stood Mrs. Murietta, a red rose 

Was blushing in her hair. 

And warmly beautiful, like sun at noon. 

Glowed with love's flames our dear Princess Louise, 

Attended by the beautiful Sassoon, 
The charming Viennesse ! 




GEOKGIANA, COUNTESS OF DUDLEY 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Then Lady Randolph Churchill, whose sweet tones 

Make her the Saint Cecilia of the day ; 
■And next those fay-like girls, the Livingstones, 

Girofla-Girofle ! 

And then my eyes were moved to gaze upon 
The phantom-like, celestial form and face 

Of the ethereal Lady Clarendon, 
The loveliest of her race. 

The beauteous sister of a Countess fair, 

Is she, the next that my whole soul absorbs, 

A model she for Phidias, I declare. 
The classic Lady Forbes. 

Although London has always been famous for the 
beautiful women of all nationalities that one can see 
there, I doubt their having been surpassed since the 
eighties. To pick and choose among such a bevy is some- 
what of an invidious task. I can think of few nowadays 
who could really compare with the Duchess of Leinster 
and her sister Lady Helen Vincent, Lady London- 
derry, Lady Dalhousie, Lady Lonsdale (better known 
as Lady de Grey), Lady Ormonde who has the cameo- 
like features of her mother, the beautiful Duchess of 
Westminster, Lady Mary Mills, and Lady Gerard. 
Mrs. Cornwallis-West, whose daughters have inherited 
her beauty, held her own with the best of them. It was 
difficult to find a fault in her bright, sparkling face, as 
full of animation as her brown eyes were of Irish wit and 
fun. She had a lovely complexion, curly brown hair, 
and a perfect figure. Undoubtedly, however, the one 
who will be handed down to posterity as the most beau- 

147 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

tiful woman of her generation is Georgiana Lady Dud- 
ley, whose imposing presence and small aristocratic 
head still conmiand admiration. 

Among royal ladies no one can dispute the palm be- 
ing given to her Majesty Queen Alexandra. 



148 



CHAPTER VII 

GASTEIN— LORD RANDOLPH'S LETTERS FROM INDIA 

IN July, 1883, an otherwise pleasant season was sud- 
denly turned into grief and mourning for us by the 
death of my father-in-law, Randolph had dined 
with him the previous night, when he appeared quite in 
his usual health. At eight o'clock next morning we 
heard a knock at our bedroom door, and a footman stam- 
mered out "His Grace is dead!" 

It was naturally a great shock to Randolph, who was 
much attached to his father, and saw him constantly. I 
regretted the Duke very much : he had always been most 
kind and charming to me. If he seemed rather cold 
and reserved, he really had an affectionate nature. Al- 
though his children were somewhat in awe of him, hav- 
ing been brought up in the old-fashioned way which 
precludes any real intimacy, they were devoted to him. 
The Duke was greatly interested in politics, and was a 
Tory of the old type, holding in abhorrence anything 
approacliing change. He was one of the strongest op- 
ponents of the "Deceased Wife's Sister" Bill, and only 
a few days before his death, owing to his efforts, the 
Third Reading of the Bill had been defeated by a nar- 
row majority. 

After a few days spent at Blenheim, we left for Gas- 
tein, taking our boy Winston with us. There we led the 
"simple life" with a vengeance, but after the rush of 

149 



REMINISCENCES OF 

London, and the gloom of the preceding weeks, the 
peace and quiet were not unpleasant. 

In our walks we frequently met Bismarck with his 
big boar-hound, two detectives following him closely. 
One day as he was walking rather slowly we tried to pass 
him, whereupon, much to my annoyance, the detectives 
rushed forward in a most threatening manner. I had no 
idea we looked like anarchists. 

Beyond climbing the mountains and taking the baths, 
there was little to do. We made the acquaintance of 
Count LehndorfF, who introduced us to an old Grafin, 
who lived in a villa called "La Solitude." This lady was 
a great friend of the Emperor William I, and invited us 
one day to tea to meet him. The Emperor was a fine- 
looking man, notwithstanding his age, and he had that 
old-world manner which is as attractive as it is rare. He 
was full of gaiety, and chaffed some of the young peo- 
ple present. It was a mystery to me how he survived 
what he ate and drank, although he was doing a cure. 
He began with poached eggs, and went on to potted 
meats and various strange German dishes, added many 
cups of strong tea, and ended with strawberries, ices, 
and sweet, tepid champagne. We talked banalites; it 
was not very exciting. 

We spent the winter following the Duke's death more 
or less at Blenheim under the new regime. My brother- 
in-law, who had now succeeded to the family honors, was 
most kind and hospitable, and insisted that nothing 
should be altered as regarded us. He even persuaded 
Randolph to revive his harriers. I thoroughly enjoyed 
the hunting, and was given the proud post of whipper- 
in. But I own to my discomfiture that I could never re- 

150 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

member the names of the hounds ; to me they all looked 
alike. Randolph, on the contrary, knew not only their 
names, but their characteristics, and spent many hours 
at the kennels. 

In November, 1884, wanting a rest from the arduous 
political work he had been indulging in, Randolph de- 
cided to go to India for a few months. He had been 
speaking at a good many meetings all over the country, 
at Edinburgh, at Blackpool, to his own constituents at 
Woodstock, and finally in a regular campaign in Birm- 
ingham, where on one occasion occurred the celebrated 
Aston Riots, which were organized by Mr. Chamber- 
lain's agent, a Mr. Schnadhorst. How the meeting was 
broken up, the speakers (Sir Stafford Northcote, Col- 
onel Burnaby, Lord Randolph, and others) fleeing for 
their lives, is a matter of history. Notwithstanding Ran- 
dolph's righteous indignation at such treatment, partic- 
ularly from a friend, even though a political opponent, 
he made it up with Mr. Chamberlain before leaving for 
India. Amiable letters passed between them, and they 
shook hands. While Randolph was on the high seas, the 
Aston Riots question, which had already been discussed 
at length in the House of Commons, came up again. In 
view of the reconciliation which had just taken place, 
I was rather disappointed to hear Mr. Chamberlain 
warmly backing up his constituents. It may have been 
necessary from his point of view, but I agree with M. de 
Camors — ^'La politique desseche le coeur." Sometimes, 
indeed, I think politics a "sorry game." Too often its 
attributes are callousness and ingratitude, tricks and 
treachery. In any other "walk of life" these things 
would not be tolerated for a moment. 

151 



REMINISCENCES OF 

The press in those days attacked Randolph most vi- 
ciously on every possible opportunity. Mr. Buckle, the 
editor of the "Times," who was by way of being a friend 
of ours, often, if not invariably, wrote slating articles on 
him. One night I met him at the Speaker's after a par- 
ticularly poisonous leader had appeared in the morning 
"Times." Coming up, he half-chaifingly asked me if I 
intended to speak to him, or if I was too angry. "An- 
gry? Not a bit," I replied. "I have ten volumes of 
press-cuttings about Randolph, all abusive. This will 
only be added to them." 

I sometimes wonder if the power of the press is not 
greatly exaggerated. I have always observed that it has 
to follow a popular movement, not lead it, and great 
abuse of a public man only seems to help him to office. 
At the last General Election (1906), with few excep- 
tions the whole press of England preached protection, 
and yet free trade won all along the line. In all political 
matters indeed one may say with Omar Khayyam : 

"I heard great argument 
lAbout it and about : but evermore 
Came out by the same door where in I went." 

Randolph remained in India four months, enjoying 
himself immensely. He wrote me glowing accounts of 
his travels and all that he was seeing. These letters made 
me greatly regret that I had not been able to accompany 
him. 

Government House, 

Bombay, January l, 1885, 
We got here Tuesday morning early, after a very pleasant voy- 
age across the Indian Ocean. I found the Governor's carriage 

152 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

waiting at the dock, and we came up here. Sir James Fergusson 
is most kind and pleasant and so are all the Staff. I have not 
done any sight-seeing yet, except going into Bombay and walk- 
ing about the streets and looking at the people, an endless 
source of interest. It would be quite useless my endeavor- 
ing to describe to you my impression of this town. The 
complete novelty and originality of everything is remarkable, 
and one is never tired of staring and wondering. I cannot tell 
you how much I am enjoj'ing myself or how much I wish you 
vrere with me. The Bombay Club asked me to a dinner but I 
declined, as there would have been speeches and more or less of 
a political demonstration against the Ripon Party, which would 
never have done. I did not come out to India to pursue politics 
or to make speeches. 

January 9. 
We have been going about a great deal, seeing various things 
and people. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, a great Parsee, took us 
to see the Towers of Silence, where they place all the dead 
Parsee bodies to be eaten by vultures. I was asked to write my 
opinion of their process in their books, and composed a highly 
qualified and ambiguous impression which would have done 
credit to Gladstone. 

Last night we dined at the Byculla Club with several gentle- 
men, when an American lady gave us some very dull recitations 
from Tennyson ; we were all much bored. I had a long inter- 
view with eight of the leading native politicians on Wednesday 
morning on Indian politics, in which they set forth with great 
ability their various grievances. We leave to-night for Indore, 
and after that go to Jaipur, Agra, Delhi and Lucknow, which 
last place we hope to reach about the 21st. From there I go 
to spend a week or ten days with Colonel Murray in the district 
which he administrates, somewhere on the borders of Nepaul. 
We shall be in camp, and moving about every day, and I shall 
be able to see something of the details of Indian administration 

153 



REMINISCENCES OF 

and also lots of sport; but of this last I shall be a spectator 
rather than an actor. You have no idea how extraordinarily 
polite people are out here, and what trouble they take to 
amuse me. 

The Residency, 

Indoue, January 14. 
We were met at the junction for Indore by Captain F., of 
Holkar's service, who informed us that Holkar was away from 
his capital and was ill, but would come to a station near and 
meet us ; and presently there we found him, drawn up with all 
his Court. We had an interview of about half an hour, while 
the other unfortunate passengers were kept waiting. He was 
most gracious and very intelligent, and when we left he em- 
braced me! At Indore we found his son, also drawn up, and 
more pow-wow. In the evening fireworks, Hindu drama, 
Nautch, conjurers, &c. All very Hindu and delightful the 
first time one sees it, but I can quite imagine that after a time 
it would pall. In the morning Holkar sent us out cheetah- 
hunting for black buck; however, the cheetah was sulky and 
would not run well, so did not catch one. We then took our 
rifles, and I shot three and Thomas ^ two. 

In Camp, 

DuDNA, February 1. 
Here we are in camp in the middle of an immense forest at the 
foot of the Himalayas. We have been leading a very enjoyable 
life since we left Lucknow and Colonel Murray. Out all day 
careering round on elephants after game, sleeping in tents at 
night, always at a different place, always hungry for break- 
fast, very hungry for dinner — two sensations to me which have 
the attraction of novelty. The whole thing is a charming 
change after racketing about in railways from town to town. 
We have not seen much game I must admit, as it is far too 
1 Private Secretary. 

154 



% 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

early in the year and, no grass being burnt and much water 
being about, the wild animals are very widely scattered, and 
shots are few and far between; though yesterday we hunted 
one leopard which ultimately escaped after being much fired 
at and, I think, grievously wounded. I shot a very nice swamp 
deer and Thomas a nilghai or blue bull. We also shot pea-fowl, 
bustards, and partridges and every variety of bird. We have 
fifteen elephants, and these creatures are an unfailing source of 
interest and amusement. I think an elephant is the best mode 
of conveyance I know. He cannot come to grief; he never 
tumbles down nor runs away (at least, not on the march) ; 
nothing stops him; and when you get accustomed to his pace 
he is not tiring. You would not believe what steep places they 
get up and down or what thick, almost impenetrable, jungle 
they go through. If a tree is in the way, and not too large 
a one, they pull it down ; if a branch hangs too low for the 
howdah to go under, they break it off. They are certainly 
most wonderful animals, and hfe in many parts of India would 
be impossible without them. The scenery all round here is 
lovely — very wild and with splendid woodland effects. We have 
spent more days in camp here than we meant, which has altered 
our plans a little, but I like so much seeing the country and the 
people. 

What explosions there are in London ! I think it verj'^ amia- 
ble of the dynamite people to blow up the House of Commons 
when we are all away; they might have chosen a more incon- 
venient moment. 

GOVEENMENT HoUSE,^ 

Calcutta, February 8. 
I HAVE had the great good fortune to kiU a tiger. It was our 
last day, and the party proposed to shoot ducks and snipe; 
but for that I did not much care and suggested that I and a 
Mr. Hersey (an English gentleman who is Hving in the dis- 

157 



REMINISCENCES OF 

trict) should go into the forest on the chance of seeing deer 
and perhaps getting a sambur-stag, wliile the others went to 
shoot ducks. This was agreed to, and the others bet fifty 
rupees they would have the heaviest bag. Well, Hersey and I, 
each on an elephant and accompanied only by two other ele- 
phants, were beating an open space in the forest when I came 
upon the recently killed carcass of a hog, half devoured. Her- 
sey, when he saw it, declared it was quite fresh, and that the 
tiger must be close by. You may imagine the excitement. We 
beat on through the place and then came through it again, for 
it was very thick high grass. All of a sudden out bundled this 
huge creature, right under the nose of Hersey's elephant, and 
made off across some ground which was slightly open. Hersey 
fired, and missed. I fired and hit him just above the tail. (A 
very good shot, for he only showed me his stern, and he 
was at least forty yards off.) Hersey then fired his second 
barrel, and broke his shoulder, which brought him up (literally 
with a round turn). He took refuge in a patch of grass about 
fifty yards from us where we could just see bits of him. Heav- 
ens, how he growled and what a rage he was in ! He would 
have charged us but that he was disabled by Hersey's last shot. 
We remained still, and gave him four or five more shots, which, 
on subsequent examination, we found all told; and then, after 
about five minutes' more awful growling, he expired. Great joy 
to all. The good luck of getting him was unheard of at this 
time of year; the odds were a hundred to one against such a 
thing. He was a magnificent specimen, nine feet seven inches 
in length, and a splendid skin — which will, I think, look very 
well in Grosvenor Square. This is certainly the acme of sport. 
I never shall forget the impression produced by this huge brute 
breaking cover; or, indeed, the mingled joy and consternation 
of the other party when they saw him — for they had to pay up 
fifty rupees. They had got a black buck and a blue bull, and 
thought they had certainly won. 

158 




LOKl> RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Tigers in the Zoo give one very little idea of what the wild 
animal is like. 

Government Hotjse, 

Calcutta, February 10. 
I hope to leave Bombay March 20th and return via Marseilles, 
in which case I should be back in London about the 11th or 12th 
of April. I do not think I shall be able to stop in Paris, as I guess 
the House of Commons will be just reassembling after Easter, 
and it would be a good moment to drop in upon that body. It 
is extremely pleasant here. The Dufferins are very kind and 
easy-going ; the Staff, too, are amiable ; and Bill Beresford does 
everything he can for one. Yesterday the Government tele- 
graphed to Dufferin to despatch a brigade of Indian troops 
and thirty miles of railway plant to Suakim. Great prepara- 
tions at once made ; late at night comes an order from London 
countermanding the whole thing. Dufferin, diplomatist as he 
is, could not conceal his disgust at this vacillation when they 
handed him the telegram on our return from dinner. I tele- 
graphed to Borthwick, and I hope I put the fat in the fire. 



Rewah, February 17. 
I GOT a telegram from Wolff yesterday, through Pender, saying 
that affairs were pressing and a crisis impending and inquiring 
when I was coming back. Mais je connais mon Wolff; he has 
crisis on the brain and, in any case, no political contingency 
will hasten my return by an hour. I expect the Government 
will try and get put out and the Tories wiU try to come in; I 
wish them joy of it. 

On Sunday morning General Roberts turned up, and we had 
a jolly day ; lots of talk. The General is all I had imagined him 
to be. He is very keen on taking me up the frontier to Pesha- 
war and Quetta. It would be most pleasant if it could come off, 

161 



REMINISCENCES OF 

and one would learn a great deal about that most mysterious 
problem, "the dangers of the Russian advance" ; but there is no 
chance of it. 

Benares, February 24. 
This place is the most distinctly Hindu city I have yet seen ; 
old and curious in every part. We are leaving for one of the 
Maharajah's palaces, or villa rather. We are extremely hien 
loges et nourris, with a retinue of servants and carriages at all 
times ready. There is an old Rajah, Siva Prasad, an interesting 
and experienced old man who acts as guide ; he speaks English 
perfectly though at the top of his voice, and indulges in endless 
dissertations on Indian politics. Yesterday morning we started 
off to see the Maharajah's royal palace of Ramnugger. Very 
great reception; all the retainers, elephants, horses, &c., to- 
gether with army — the latter about 100 strong — drawn up in a 
long avenue from the gates to the door. The army gave a royal 
salute, and the band played "God save the Queen," which I had 
to receive with dignity and gravity ; rather difficult ! The 
Maharajah's grandson, a boy of ten, met us at the door, and his 
son a man of thirty, half way up the staircase; such are the 
gradations of Oriental etiquette. The Maharajah was not 
there, as he is old and infirm, and was keeping himself for the 
evening. Then Nautch girls and mummers, which, so early in 
the morning, were out of place ; and so on. 

Later we took a boat, came down the Ganges, and saw all the 
Benares people bathing — thousands. As you know, this is part 
of their religion. The water is very dirty, but they lap up 
quantities of it, as it is very "holy" ; also there were to be seen 
the burning Ghats, where all the dead are cremated. There were 
five bodies burning, each on its own little pile of fagots; but 
the whole sight was most curious and I am going again this 
morning to have another look. Benares is a very prosperous 
city, as all the rich people from all parts of India come here to 
spend the end of their days. Any Hindu who dies at Benares, 

162 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

and whose ashes are thrown into the Ganges, goes right bang up 
to heaven without stopping, no matter how great a rascal he 
may have been. I think the G. O. M. ought to come here ; it is 
his best chance. 

In the evening the Maharajah gave a party to all the native 
notabilities of the city ; great attendance of Baboos. Many of 
them speak English, and some appear to be very clever men, but 
I have had so much pow-wow that I did not talk to them much. 
I discovered a great scandal here the evening of my arrival. I 
found the magistrate and police were impressing Bheesties, or 
water-carriers, for service in the Soudan ; great consternation in 
the profession, and all the Bheesties were hiding and were being 
actively hunted up by the poHce. I investigated the matter, 
questioned the head of the police, and went and saw three of the 
victims for the Mahdi. The poor creatures fell at my feet in 
the dust, screaming not to go. I was very angry, and tele- 
graphed to Sir Alfred Lyall, the Lieutenant-Governor of the 
North West Provinces, and an inquiry is being made which will, 
I hope, save these unfortunate persons from a service to them 
terrible. This little incident of our rule goes far to explain 
why we make no progress in popularity among the people. 

Jaipur, March 3, 1885. 
We only remained at Delhi two days as the hotel was piggy, 
and we moved to the Club at Agra, which is very comfortable, 
with excellent food and wine. This also gave us opportunity of 
seeing the "Taj" by moonlight, which we were not able to do 
last time, and which is an unequalled sight. Also we went to 
dine at the house of a native judge — a very interesting and 
clever man ; we met a most curious collection of native notabil- 
ities. The natives are much pleased when one goes to their 
houses, for the officials out here hold themselves much too high 
and never seek any intercourse with the native out of official 
lines ; they are very foolish. 

« 163 



REMINISCENCES OF 

We go on to-night to Baroda, where the Gulcowar is organ- 
ising a tiger hunt. I almost think I am getting a Httle tired of 
travehng, and shall be glad to find myself on board ship. 

As appears from these letters, Lord Randolph's re- 
lations with Lord and Lady Dufferin were of the most 
cordial kind, and this friendship stood him in good stead 
when shortly after his return to England he was ap- 
pointed to the India Office. Many years later as I was 
passing through Paris, Lord Dufferin, who was then 
Ambassador there, showed me much kindness. Refer- 
ring to his relations with Randolph while Viceroy in 
India, he says in the following letter : 

British Embassy, 

Paris, March 14, 1895. 
My dear Lady Randolph, 

I have been so sorry not to be able to come and see you ; but 
ever since your arrival I have been laid up almost continuously 
with what they call here "la grippe," and I have only just be- 
gun to go out. I would so like to be allowed to come and pay 
you a visit. I suppose like most ladies, you are in late, or would 
you prefer me to come at an earlier hour,? 

Of course there is nothing that Lady Dufferin and I would 
not be anxious to do to make your stay in Paris as little sad and 
irksome as possible. As I am sure you must know, I had the 
greatest regard and personal affection for your husband. 

He quite won my heart when he paid us a visit in India, and 
when afterwards he became Secretary of State, I found him 
more courteous, more considerate, more full of sympathy, than 
any of those with whom I had previously worked. In short, it is 
impossible to say what a pleasure it was to me to have been as- 
sociated with him in the Government of India. He always came 

164. 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

to see me when he passed through Paris, and it was a renewed 
delight to have a chat with him. . . . 
Believe me, my dear Lady Randolph, 

Yours most sincerely, 

DUFFERIN AND AvA. 



165 



CHAPTER VIII 



OFFICE AND RESIGNATION 



IN the absence of Lord Randolph in India, the politi- 
cal horizon had grown very dark for the Liberal 
Government, which fell shortly after his return 
(1885 ) . The triumphant Fourth Party now reaped the 
reward of their labors, all being included in the new Ad- 
ministration. Great was the excitement and many the 
pourparlers at Connaught Place. Randolph was of- 
fered the post of Secretary of State for India, by Lord 
Salisbury, and accepted it, but on the understanding 
that Sir Henry Wolff and Mr. Gorst, who had "borne 
the burden and heat of the day" with him, should be in- 
cluded. Lord Salisbury demurred, but finally gave way 
under pressure. Having joined the Government, Ran- 
dolph was now obliged to seek reelection at Woodstock. 
His new office giving him an enormous amount of work, 
he made up his mind not to contest it personally. I was 
therefore pressed into the service. Of nine elections in 
which I have taken a more or less active part (Wood- 
stock twice, Birmingham three times, Paddington twice, 
Oldham and Manchester once each) , if Birmingham was 
the most laborious, I think Woodstock was the one which 
left the pleasantest memories. 

Accompanied by my sister-in-law, the late Lady 
Howe— then Lady Georgiana Curzon— we stayed at 

166 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Blenheim, but had our Committee rooms at the Bear 
Hotel in Woodstock. There we held daily confabula- 
tions with the friends and Members of Parliament who 
had come to help. We were most important, and felt 
that the eyes of the world were upon us. Reveling in the 
hustle and bustle of the Committee rooms, marshaling 
our forces, and hearing the hourly reports of how the 
campaign was progressing, I felt like a general holding 
a council-of-war with his staff in the heat of a battle. A. 
was doubtful, B. obdurate, while C.'s wife, a wicked, 
abominable Radical, was trying to influence her husband 
whom we thought secure, to vote the wrong way. At 
once they must be visited and our arsenal of arguments 
brought to bear on them. Sometimes with these simple 
country folk a pleading look, and an imploring "Oh, 
please vote for my husband ; I shall be so unhappy if he 
does not get in," or "If you want to be on the winning 
side, vote for us; as of course we are going to win," 
would be as effective as the election agent's longest 
speeches on the iniquity of Mr. Chamberlain's unauth- 
orized program or Mr. Gladstone's "disgraceful" atti- 
tude at the death of Gordon. In some ways the work 
was arduous enough. 

The Primrose League was still in an embryonic state 
in Woodstock, and there was no Habitation to fur- 
nish us with the Primrose Dames, who for the last 
twenty years have taken a prominent ^art at every elec- 
tion. The distances to cover were great, and motors 
were not in existence. Luckily, Lady Georgiana Cur- 
zon, who was a beautiful driver, brought down her well- 
knovm tandem, and we scoured the country with our 
smart turnout, the horses gaily decorated with ribbons of 

167 



REMINISCENCES OF 

pink and brown, Randolph's racing colors. Sometimes 
we would drive into the fields, and getting down, climb 
the hayricks, f alhng upon our unwary prey at his work. 
There was no escaping us. Many of the voters of those 
days went no further than their colors. "I votes red" or 
"blue," as the case might be, and no talking, however 
forcible or subtle could move them. Party feeling ran 
high, and in outlying districts we would frequently be 
pursued by our opponents, jeering and shouting at us; 
but this we rather enjoyed. We were treated to jing- 
ling rhymes, the following being a specimen : 

But just as I was talking 
With Neighbour Brown and walking 
To take a mug of beer at the Unicorn and Lion, 
(For there 's somehow a connection 
Between free beer and election) 

Who should come but Lady Churchill, with a turnout that was 
fine. 

And before me stopped her horses, 

As she marshaled all her forces, 

And before I knew what happened I had promised her my vote; 

And before I quite recovered 

From the vision that had hovered, 

'T was much too late to rally, and I had changed my coat. 

And over Woodstock darted 

On their mission brave, whole-hearted, 

The tandem and their driver and the ribbons pink and brown. 

And a smile that twinkled over. 

And that made a man most love her 

Took the hearts and votes of all Liberals in the town. 

168 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Bless my soul ! that Yankee lady, 

Whether day was bright or shady, 

Dashed about the district like an oriflamme of war. 

When the voters saw her bonnet, 

With the bright pink roses on it, 

They followed as the soldiers did the Helmet of Navarre. 

At the end of a tiring fortnight, Randolph was re- 
turned at the head of the poll. From the window of the 
Bear Hotel I made a little speech to the crowd, and 
thanked them "from the bottom of my heart" for return- 
ing my husband for the third time. I surpassed the 
fondest hopes of the Suffragettes, and thought I was 
duly elected, and I certainly experienced all the pleasure 
and gratification of being a successful candidate. I re- 
turned to London feeling that I had done a very big 
thing, and was surprised and astonished that the crowds 
in the streets looked at me with indifference. I often 
think that these must be the sensations of a newly made 
Member of Parliament when he first goes to the House 
of Commons, fresh from the hustings of his own meet- 
ings, where his dullest and silliest inanity is listened to 
and applauded. In the House he finds his level, alas! 
only too soon, and in a cold and inattentive audience 
realizes that perhaps he may not be the born orator he 
was led to believe. 

The following letter from Lord James of Hereford, 
then Sir Henry James, alludes to the Woodstock elec- 
tion. 

T,, TA T T-. New Court, Temple, 1885. 

My Dear JLady Randolph : 

You must let me very sincerely and heartily congratulate you 
on the result of the election, especially as that result proceeded 

171 



REMINISCENCES OF 

so very much from your personal exertions. Everybody is 
praising you very much. 

But my gratification is slightly impaired by feeling I must in- 
troduce a new Corrupt Practices Act. Tandems must be put 
down, and certainly some alteration — a correspondent informs 
me — must be made in the means of ascent and descent there- 
from ; then arch looks have to be scheduled, and nothing must be 
said "from my heart." The graceful wave of a pocket handker- 
chief will have to be dealt with in committee. 

Still, I am very glad. 

Yours most truly, 

Henry James. 



Of a very different order from Woodstock was the 
contest for Birmingham at the General Election of 
1885, when Randolph and Colonel Burnaby opposed 
Mr. John Bright and Mr. Chamberlain. Dm-ing the 
election I had occasion to see a good deal of Colonel 
Burnaby, whose "Ride to Khiva" gave one an idea of his 
adventurous spirit. He was a gentle voiced, amiable 
man, notwithstanding an enormous frame and gigantic 
strength. I remember one night in Birmingham, that 
while walking back after a meeting to the hotel where 
we were staying, we encountered a crowd of opponents, 
who were inclined to be hostile, jostling us in such an 
alarming manner that I became nervous ; but seemingly 
with the wave of his arm. Colonel Burnaby scattered 
them. Innumerable were the stories told about him. 
Once at Windsor Barracks, for a bet, he walked up a 
narrow staircase with a fair-sized pony under each arm. 
The dumb-bells he exercised with weighed two hundred 
pounds, and on one occasion, hearing a brother-officer 

172 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

(who, by the way, was six foot two) make some dispar- 
aging remark about him, he took him up and flung him 
across the room. Had it not been for the fact of landing 
on a sofa, the wretched man would have had his back 
broken. A few months after the election Colonel Bur- 
naby was killed in action at Abu Klea. In one of his let- 
ters from India Randolph says: "Poor Fred Burnaby's 
death is a great blow to me, and it was so sad getting his 
letter inclosed in yours this morning. I wonder if he 
got my letter— I shall miss him greatly." 

The Duchess of Marlborough, my mother-in-law, 
came down to help me. It was the first time that women 
had ever indulged in any personal canvassing in Birm- 
ingham, and we did it thoroughly. Every house in the 
constituency was visited. The Duchess would go in one 
direction, and I in another ; the constituency was a large 
one, and the work arduous. The voters were much more 
enlightened than the agricultural laborers of Oxford- 
shire ; the men particularly were very argumentative and 
were well up in the questions of the day. The wives of 
the Radicals were also admirably informed, and on more 
than one occasion routed me completely. Sometimes I 
invaded a factory addressing a few words to the men in 
their dinner-hour. On one occasion I was received in 
sullen silence; when I inquired why, one, speaking for 
the rest, said they did not like being asked for their vote. 
"But you have something I want," I cried; "how am I to 
get it if I do not ask for it?" This struck them as quite 
reasonable and when I left they cheered me. Whether 
or not I secured any votes I shall never know. 

The excitements and amusing incidents repaid one for 
the fatigue. During the whole of the election I never 

173 



REMINISCENCES OF 

encountered a disagreeable incident or any rudeness, 
however poor the slum into which I went. Only once did 
I come across a Philistine— a publican who was in the 
cellar when I called. "Lady Churchill wants to see 
you," said the wife through the trap-door. "Oh, does 
she?" came in guttural tones from behind the barrels of 

beer. "Well, tell Mrs. Churchill to go to ," at which 

I beat a hasty retreat. On the other hand I had a great 
success with a butcher, with whom I exchanged flowers ; 
he gave me his vote and some time after the election I 
was the proud recipient of half a sheep, sent by my use- 
ful admirer. The election, alas ! was not won, but to have 
brought down the great Mr. Bright's majority to 400 
was a virtual triumph. The Radical Caucus and Mr. 
Chamberlain's stronghold were shaken to their founda- 
tion. In spite of his defeat, Randolph did not give up 
hope of contesting Birmingham again. He kept in 
touch with the constituency, and often held meetings 
there. 

Of political and electioneering anecdotes one can 
often say, ''si non e vero e hen trovato." But among true 
experiences amusing or otherwise, I remember one in 
particular. Being asked to help canvass for Mr. Burdett- 
Coutts, I was pleading with a waverer for his vote. 
Waggishly and with a sly look he said, "If I could get 
the same price as was once paid by the Duchess of Dev- 
onshire for a vote, I think I could promise." "Thank 
you very much," I replied, "I '11 let the Baroness Bur- 
dett-Coutts know at once." 

About this time Sir Henry James, of whom we saw a 
good deal, although politically he was of the "other way 
of thinking," being a Liberal, was instrumental in bring- 

174 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

ing about a reconciliation between the Prince of Wales 
and Randolph. Friendly messages had already been 
conveyed from his Royal Highness, and the matter fi- 
nally culminated in our giving a dinner for the Prince 
and Princess of Wales. Lord Rosebery, Mr. and Mrs. 
Gladstone, Mr. Henry Chaplin, and Mr. and Mrs. 
Chauncey Depew were among the guests. The dinner 
was animated, Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Chauncey Depew 
keeping the ball rolling. This reconciliation, I am 
happy to say, was a lasting one, all old wounds being 
healed. A few days later the peacemaker, delighted 
with his success, went off with Randolph for a little 
jaunt abroad. I cannot refrain from giving the letter 
Sir Henry James wrote me, which proves what good 
company he was. 

Grand Hotel, Paris, Sunday. 
My Dear Lady Randolph : 

A word of our journey. At Charing Cross Station (Friday 
morning) the Inspector informed me it was blowing roughly 
from the S. E. in the Channel. R. C. derided the idea. "Non- 
sense! What a weak creature you are! Beautiful day." Ar- 
rived at Folkestone, captain's cabin reserved for two. Ran- 
dolph spurned it. "Beastly place ! I shall go on the bridge." 

I reclined and read, and saw no more of my companion until 
we arrived at Boulogne. At first I could not find him. At last 
a sailor came up to me and said, "The gentleman is very ill, but 
he is trying to come up-stairs now." Then I saw a figure crawl- 
ing out of the forecastle. He had been on the bridge, but had 
been literally washed off it and for a time had lain on the deck 
with the sea pouring over him. It had been the- roughest pas- 
sage known, I believe, for years. I rushed to my altered friend. 
He really was very ill, and placed a fixed gaze on the ground, 

175 



REMINISCENCES OF 

still thinking of, and feeling, the horrors of that passage. A 
stout, red-haired man approached him. "Let me, as one of your 
most ardent admirers, shake hands with you." I much doubt if 
that man will ever make that request again. Propping himself 
up by means of my umbrella, tottering notwithstanding, sea 
water running away in large quantities from his great-coat, a 
new hat quite spoilt. Lord Randolph slightly inclined a fixed 
eye embedded in a ghastly countenance of a leaden yellow color 
upon that admirer, who fled. In the buffet old Baillie Cochrane 
quite cheerfully desired "to communicate something of great in- 
terest affecting the party." This time a slight groan was heard, 
so I knew my fellow-traveller was improving. At length he 
found his way into our carriage, reclining on cushions and cov- 
ered with rugs. In two minutes he was asleep. Before Amiens 
he awoke, quite sprightly and with a good colour, and smoked 
two cigarettes, and abused Granville, so I knew he was quite 
well. We are enjoying ourselves very much — and behaving in a 
most exemplary manner. 

If I had a decent pen and ink free from dust, I should have 
made this a most interesting letter. 

Yours, dear Lady Randolph, 

Henby James. 

Among the many political meetings I attended with 
Randolph during those two years, I think the biggest 
and most imposing was that held in the Manchester Drill 
Hall. Eighteen thousand people filled the place to suf- 
focation — no singer that ever lived can command the au- 
dience of a popular politician. If the building had held 
40,000 or 50,000, it would still have been crowded. Most 
of the people had been standing for two hours before we 
arrived. INIanchester gave Randolph a magnificent re- 
ception, thousands lined the streets and covered the roofs 

176 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

of the houses as we slowly drove through the town in a 
carriage drawn by four horses. Over 200,000 people 
were said to have turned out that day. I felt very 
proud. Randolph's speech lasted for over two hours. 
The heat was great, and on leaving the building the 
crowd pressed round the carriage to such an extent that 
two men were killed. I was also with Randolph at 
Sheffield, and heard the famous speech in which he asked 
Lord Hartington to abandon Gladstone and Home 
Rule and "come over and help us." This phrase led me 
later into trouble. Happening to meet Lord Harting- 
ton at dinner while he was still making up his mind as to 
whether he would join the Liberal Unionists or not, I 
asked him if he intended responding to Randolph's invi- 
tation. "I have not yet decided; but when I do, I sup- 
pose I shall be thought either a man or a mouse." "Or a 
rat," said I. Lord Hartington laughed, as the French 
say, "dfun rire jaune." Very pleased with what I con- 
sidered my "bon-mot," I repeated it to Randolph, who, 
to my discomfiture, gave me a severe lecture on the in- 
iquity of ill-timed jests. "Those are the sort of remarks 
which upset a coach," he said. 

Many of our Liberal friends were in great trepida- 
tion at that time, torn between their hatred of Home 
Rule and their reluctance to leave the "Grand Old 
Man." The following letter from Sir Henry James is 
some indication of their feelings : 

28, Wilton Place, Sunday. 
My Dear Lady Randolph : 

It is very kind of you and the Secretary of State to ask me to 
come to you on the 3d. Of course I will do so with the greatest 

177 



REMINISCENCES OF 

pleasure. But unless the horizon clears I shall not, I warn you, 
be very lively. 

I fear a ripple of scoffing laughter, but still I am really in 
very low spirits. I see no way out of the breakers — worse than 
breakers — which we have drifted into, and where is the Pilot.'* 

I will regard No. 2 Connaught Place as a Lighthouse — but 
that fixed — forgive me for saying by way of correction — ro- 
tatory obiect will scarcely suffice. __ , . -, 
*^ '' Yours most truly, 

Henry James. 
And again later he writes : 

Brooks's, St. James's Street. 
My Dear Lady Randolph : 

Of course I will come with the greatest pleasure on Sunday 
week. 

Thanks for your sympathy on account of my Tuesday night 

vote. I want somebody's for I am having a Httle rough usage 

from candid friends. I know I intended to do right and I think 

and hope I did so. ^^ . . i 

^ Yours most truly, 

Henry James. 

This refers to the division on Mr. Jesse Collings's 
amendment to the address which took place on Tuesday, 
January 26> 1886. By means of the amendment Mr. 
Gladstone sought to turn Lord Salisbury's Government 
out of office, in order that Home Rule might be brought 
forward. Knowing this, seventeen Liberals including 
Lord Hartington, Mr. Goschen, and Sir Henry James 
voted with the Government against Mr. Gladstone. 
Thus was laid the foundation of the Liberal Unionist 
Party. 

While Randolph was at the India Office, I was told 
that the Order of the Crown of India would be given to 

178 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

me if he recommended me for it. This decoration, which 
was instituted by Queen Victoria and designed by the 
Duke of Albany, has a pretty pearl and turquoise cipher 
attached to a pale-blue ribbon edged with white. I ad- 
mit I thought it would be very nice to have it, but Ran- 
dolph demurred at the idea of recommending his own 
wife, and therefore I sorrowfully gave up the idea. A 
few months later, however, much to my delight, the fol- 
lowing letter arrived : 

Windsor Castle, November 30, 1885. 
Dear Lord Randolph : 

The Queen wishes to personally confer the Insignia of the 
Order of the Crown of India on Lady Randolph Churchill on 
Friday next the 4th of December at three o'clock. 
Will she come back here to luncheon? 

The 1 :10 train from Paddington is the most convenient one, 
and if Lady Randolph will let me hear whether she comes by that 
or another train, I will send the carriage to meet her here. 

Yours very truly, 

Henry Ponsonby. 

On the appointed day I went to Windsor, having 
been duly apprised by a note received in the morning 
from a lady-in-waiting, as to what garments I should 
appear in. 

Lady Randolph Churchill: 

Bonnet and morning dress, gray gloves. 

To kiss the Queen's hand after receiving the decoration, like 
the gentlemen to-day. A room will be prepared for her. 

The Queen, with one of the Princesses and a lady-in- 
waiting, received me in a small room. She stood with her 

179 



REMINISCENCES OF 

back to the window, wearing a long white veil which 
made an aureole round her against the light. Address- 
ing a few kind words to me, to which in my embarrass- 
ment I made some inaudible answer, she proceeded to 
pin the order on my left shoulder. I remember that my 
black velvet dress was thickly embroidered with jet, so 
much so that the pin could find no hold, and unwittingly 
the Queen stuck it straight into me. Although like the 
Spartan boy I tried to hide what I felt, I suppose I gave 
a start, and the Queen realizing what she had done was 
much concerned. Eventually the pin was put right and 
I courtesied myself out of the Royal Presence. As I 
reached the door, her Majesty suddenly stepped forward 
saying with a smile, "Oh! you have forgotten the case," 
holding it out to me at the same time. This little touch 
of nature relieved an otherwise somewhat formal cere- 
mony. Remarking afterward to the lady-in-waiting 
that I was afraid I had been awkward, and nervous, 
"You need not be troubled," she answered, "I know the 
Queen felt more shy than you did." 

Shortly after this we were commanded to Windsor to 
dine and sleep. We dined in rather a small room, the 
walls of which were hung with family portraits by Win- 
terhalter. Conversation was carried on in whispers, 
which I thought exceedingly oppressive and conducive 
to shyness. When the Queen spoke, even the whispers 
ceased. If she addressed a remark to you, the answer 
was given while the whole company listened. 

There is a story (which I give for what it is worth) 
told of an officer who, being on guard at the Castle, was 
asked to dine. The whispered conversation and the stiff- 
ness of the proceedings beginning to weigh on him, he 

180 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

thought he would enliven them with a little joke. The 
Queen, hearing smothered laughter, asked what it was 
about. Scarlet and stammering, the poor man had to re- 
peat his little tale, amid dead silence. Fixing a cold eye 
upon him, "We are not amused," was all the Queen said. 

The night we were there, the household seemed 
slightly agitated, and the Queen retired earlier than 
usual; so they said. The next morning we understood 
the reason when we were told that a young Prince of 
Battenberg had been born that night in the Castle. Fol- 
lowing the ancient custom which prescribes that a 
Cabinet Minister should be in attendance in the royal 
residence on such occasions, the Home Secretary, Mr. 
Henry Matthews, had been hastily sent for from Lon- 
don, in preference to Randolph, whom the Queen 
thought "too young," although he was a married man 
and the father of a family, as well as a Cabinet Minister 
at the time, besides being actually in the house. 

India and things Indian loomed largely in my eyes 
that winter, and I acquired more knowledge of the coun- 
try and its history than I had ever possessed before. The 
Far East, although I had never been there, always had 
a great fascination for me, and Randolph's graphic de- 
scriptions of his travels made me very envious. 

While he was at the India Office I was called upon to 
help Lady Dufferin with the fund she was getting up in 
aid of the National Association for Supplying Female 
Medical Aid to the Women of India. This was the be- 
ginning of a remarkable institution which is flourishing 
to-day. Besides giving employment to numbers of 
English female doctors, it opened, as Lady Dufferin 
pointed out, a career for native women, and alleviated 

» 181 



REMINISCENCES OF 

some of the terrible sufferings of others. The Lord 
Mayor agreed to hold a meeting at the Mansion House 
in aid of the fund. Already I had collected a goodly 
sum. Randolph was delighted with my activity. He 
wrote to me from Scotland : 

AUCHNASHELLACH, 

... I have written twenty-one letters to-day, some of them 
long ones, so you won't be vexed if I only send you a short 
scrawl. I think your letter to Lady Dufferin admirable and all 
your plans with regard to her fund most excellent. 

At the meeting at the Mansion House a handsome 
sum was subscribed. Among the many speeches, I re- 
member thinking that Mrs. Fawcett's was by far the 
most eloquent, perhaps on account of its simplicity, free 
from any attempt at rhetorical effect. There is no doubt 
that a woman's high pitched voice carries very far in 
comparison with that of a man, and when in the matter 
of delivery the manner is slightly deprecatory, it be- 
comes very effective, particularly to the male sex. 

Lady Dufferin, who was watching the progress of 
her fund from afar, wrote me the following letter: 

Government House, 

Calcutta, January 4, 1886. 
My Dear Lady Randolph : 

I had intended writing to you as soon as I should get to Cal- 
cutta, but I have let some time slip away without doing so. I 
hope Lord Randolph told you that I wished to congratulate you 
upon getting the Crown of India. I was so glad to see that you 
had it. 

182 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

I am going to ask Sir Henry Ponsonby to pay the Queen's 
£100 into Coutts's, and you can have it acknowledged in the 
"Times" whenever you think it would be useful. My public 
meeting takes place on the 27th, and I will send you a report. 
When some notice of this appears in the English papers it might 
be a good time for a further effort, I heard from Sir Frederick 
Roberts that Lady Burdett-Coutts talked of subscribing. I 
particularly wish not to ask her myself, but I thought that I 
might mention the fact to you. We are getting on very well, 
and I am constantly hearing of little things being started in un- 
expected places. 

The great Durbungha is going to build and keep up a dis- 
pensary, and has asked me to go down to lay the foundation- 
stone, and to-day a certain Sir Walter de Souza has promised an 
annual subscription of 2400 rupees for training women in Cal- 
cutta. 

Another little place in Bengal has set up a dispensary — and 
so on throughout the country. 

We are just entering upon the short and sharp labors of a 
season which is being cut up by visits to Delhi and Burmah; 
there are so very few English visitors here this winter, I suppose 
the election kept all travellers at home. 

To-day Lord Dufferin has been employed in the unpleasant 
task of putting on an income tax, and so now we shall probably 
hear howls of execration on all sides. 

I hope that Lord Randolph is quite rested after all his elec- 
tion fatigues and is quite strong and ready for the parliamen- 
tary encounter. 

I remain, dear Lady Randolph, 

Yours sincerely, 

Hariot Dufferin. 

The political events which led to Lord Randolph 
Churchill's resignation of the post of Chancellor of the 

183 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons, 
which he held in Lord Sahsbury's second administration, 
have been so well described elsewhere^ that it is not 
necessary for me to dilate on them in these reminis- 
cences. Although the recipient of many confidences, 
so little did I realize the grave step Randolph was con- 
templating, that I was at that moment occupied with the 
details of a reception we were going to give at the For- 
eign Office, which was to be lent to us for the occasion. 
Already the cards had been printed. The night before 
his resignation we went to the play with Sir Henry 
Wolff. Questioning Randolph as to the list of guests 
for the party, I remember being puzzled at his saying: 
"Oh! I should n't worry about it if I were you; it proba- 
bly will never take place." I could get no explanation 
of his meaning, and shortly after the first act he left us 
ostensibly to go to the club, but in reality to go to the 
"Times" office and give them the letter he had written at 
Windsor Castle three nights before. In it he resigned 
all he had worked for for years, and, if he had but known 
it, signed his political death warrant. When I came 
down to breakfast, the fatal paper in my hand, I found 
him calm and smiling. "Quite a surprise for you," he 
said. He went into no explanation, and I felt too ut- 
terly crushed and miserable to ask for any, or even to 
remonstrate. Mr. Moore (the permanent Under-Secre- 
tary at the Treasury), who was devoted to Randolph, 
rushed in, pale and anxious, and with a faltering voice 
said to me, "He has thrown himself from the top of the 
ladder, and will never reach it again!" Alas! he proved 
too true a prophet. 

^ Life of Lord Randolph Churchill by Winston Churchill, 

184 



CHAPTER IX 

AFTER RESIGNATION — SANDRINGH AM 

WHEN Lord Randolph Churchill resigned his 
position as Chancellor of the Exchequer and 
Leader of the House of Commons, the 
political world stood aghast. Friends bemoaned, and the 
toadies and sj^cophants fell away and vanished. His 
action aroused much censure, and every hand seemed 
against him ; yet his only crime was to advocate economy. 
How well I remember my bitter feelings in those days! 
The political atmosphere round us seemed suddenly full 
of strife and treachery. It was gall and wormwood to 
me to hear Randolph abused in every quarter, — often, as 
I thought, by the very men who owed their success, if not 
their political existence, to him. On every side I heard of 
the defection of political allies, even of some whom we 
had every reason to believe would remain loyal. But I 
suppose the flowing tide was too much for them, and 
they drifted away with the rest. It was fated that the first 
political speech made after Randolph's resignation should 
be by Sir John Gorst, who criticized him in no meas- 
ured terms. Well might Randolph have exclaimed with 
Zechariah, "I was wounded in the house of my friends." 
In speaking some years later of Sir John at a public 

187 



REMINISCENCES OF 

meeting, Randolph referred to him as "my honorable 
friend." To me, who had resented what I rightly or 
wrongly considered an unfriendly act on the part of Sir 
John, this was too much, and I remonstrated warmly. 
"The fact is," said Randolph, laughing, "it slipped out; 
I forgot." I remember hearing Lord Salisbury say that 
a man who could not be vindictive was not a strong man. 
I often quoted this without effect to Randolph. 

When I looked back at the few preceding months 
which seemed so triumphant and full of promise, the 
debacle appeared all the greater. I had made sure 
that Randolph would enjoy the fruits of office for 
years to come, and apart from the honor and glory, I 
regretted those same "fruits." But on this subject he 
was adamant. "Politics and money do not go to- 
gether," he would often say to me; "so put the thought 
away." 

How dark those days seemed ! In vain I tried to con- 
sole myself with the thought that happiness does not de- 
pend so much on circumstances as on one's inner self. 
But I have always found in practice that theories are of 
little comfort. The vicissitudes of life resemble one of 
those gilded balls seen in a fountain. Thrown up by the 
force of the water, it flies up and down ; now at the top, 
catching the rays of the sun, now cast into the depths, 
then again shooting up, sometimes so high that it escapes 
altogether, and falls to the ground. 

It is with pleasure that I turn from these disagreeable 
reflections to the remembrance of a charming visit we 
had paid to Sandringham a month previous, in honor of 
the Prince of Wales's birthday. The Prince and Prin- 
cess dispensed their hospitality with that remarkable 

188 




STUDY BY GEORGE FREDERICK WATTS FOR A PORTRAIT OF 

KING EDWARD VII. WHEN PRINCE OF -WALES 

The orig-inal is in the Watts Collection al Guildford, Surrey 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

simplicity of which EngHsh royalty alone has the secret. 
One felt at home at once ; indeed, the life was the same as 
at any pleasant country house. Breakfast, which began 
at nine o'clock, was served at small, round tables in a din- 
ing-room decorated with Spanish tapestries given by the 
late King of Spain. The men were in shooting get-up, 
and the ladies in any dress they chose to affect — short 
skirts and thick boots or elaborate day gowns. No one 
cared or noticed. None of the Royalties appeared before 
midday, although the Prince of Wales joined the shoot- 
ers, who made an early start after breakfast. The 
feminine contingent, left to their own devices, gen- 
erally congregated in the large hall, which contained 
writing-tables, a piano, and masses of books and news- 
papers. 

The amount of scribbling which goes on in a country 
house, and in which Englishwomen in particular in- 
dulge, is always a source of astonishment and amuse- 
ment to foreigners. I have heard them exclaim: "Mais 
qu'est-ce qu'elles ecrivent toute la journee?" No for- 
eigner, indeed, can understand the Englishwoman's busy 
life, full as it is of multitudinous occupations ranging 
from household duties to poUtical gatherings, and all 
necessitating correspondence. 

Just before luncheon we sallied forth to join the 
shooters : some driving and others walking to the rendez- 
vous. The Princess of Wales, looking in her neat dress 
and small felt hat as young as her own daughters, would 
drive a pair of ponies. The luncheon in a big tent was 
always very animated and sometimes so prolonged that a 
gentle reminder was needed of the birds waiting to be 
shot. At this time the young princesses were unmarried. 

191 



REMINISCENCES OF 

If their manners in public were perhaps too diffident and 
shy compared with those of foreign royalties, in private 
they were full of gaiety and fun, dearly loving a joke, 
particularly if it was directed against some familiar 
friend who might be staying there. 

The sport was exceedingly good and well-managed, 
owing to the Prince of Wales, who, an excellent shot 
himself, took a personal interest in the arrangements in- 
stead of leaving them all to the keepers. The ladies 
stayed out to see the sport, many forming a gallery 
around Lord de Grey, who was one of the guns on this 
occasion, and whose wonderful shooting has gained him 
world-wide reputation among sportsmen. I remember 
once at Panshanger, when I was staying with the late 
Lord Cowper, seeing Lord de Grey shoot in one stand 
fifty -two birds out of fifty-four, and for a bet this was 
done with one hand. He had two loaders and three guns. 

Five o'clock tea was a feature at Sandringham. The 
simplicity of the day attire was discarded in favor of 
elaborate tea-gowns. After tea, Signor Tosti, who was 
a great favorite with the royal family, would be made to 
sing some of his charming songs. He would ramble on 
in his delightful impromptu manner for hours. Besides 
his musical gifts, he was a most amusing man, and kept 
us all laughing at his stories and witty sallies. Sometimes 
I played duets with the Princess, who was particularly 
fond of Brahms's Hungarian dances, which were just 
then in vogue. Or it might be that we would go to 
Princess Victoria's sitting-room, where there were two 
pianos, and struggle with a concerto of Schumann. The 
pace set was terrific, and I was rather glad there was no 
audience. 

192 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Although no uniforms were worn at dinner, this was a 
ceremonious affair, with every one in full dress and dec- 
orations. Rather unpunctual in those days, I was always 
on the verge of being late. The clocks were put half an 
hour in advance ; but that did not help me, as I traded on 
the fact, forgetting that it made no difference. When 
every one was assembled. Their Royal Highnesses would 
be announced, each lady in turn having the privilege of 
being taken in by her royal host, who arranged the list 
himself, and was very particular that there should be no 
hitch as to people finding their places at once. An 
equerry with a plan of the dining-table would explain to 
each man who was to be his partner and where he was to 
sit. The dinner, which never lasted more than an hour, 
was excellent and admirably ordered, which is not always 
the case in royal households where indiscriminate profu- 
sion is often paramount. Conversation was fairly ani- 
mated; there was none of that stiffness which pervaded 
Windsor and made one fear the sound of one's own voice. 
The evenings were not prolonged, for in those days there 
was no Gottlieb's band to listen to, as there invariably 
is now, or bridge to keep one up late. The Prince would 
have his rubber of whist, while the rest of the company 
sat about and talked until the Princess made a move to 
go to bed, when the ladies would troop off together, stop- 
ping to laugh and chatter in the passages, which seemed 
to amuse the young Princesses more than anything else. 
Sometimes the Princess would ask one into her dressing- 
room, which was crowded with objects and souvenirs of 
all kinds. The dressing-table was so littered with minia- 
tures and photographs of children and friends, besides 
every conceivable bibelot, that there was no room for 

193 



REMINISCENCES OF 

brushes or toilet things. On a perch in the center of the 
room was an old and somewhat ferocious white parrot, 
which I remember made disconcerting pecks if you hap- 
pened to be within his radius. At other times the Prin- 
cess might surprise you by coming to your room, 
ostensibly "to see if you had everything you wanted," but 
in reality to give a few words of advice, or to offer her 
sympathy if she thought you needed any. For without 
people realizing it, few things escaped her observant 
eyes. To those who have the privilege of coming into 
contact with her, Queen Alexandra has endeared herself 
by many such kind acts, as well as by her gentle and 
tactful sympathy. 

Among those who were at Sandringham on that occa- 
sion was the Comtesse de Paris, of whom I saw a great 
deal later, and who was much liked, every one finding her 
tres bonne enfant. She was most unlike a Frenchwoman. 
Tall and rather thin, with a pleasant smile and a desire to 
please, she affected sporting clothes and distinguished 
herself with a gun. Personally, although I see no harm 
in a woman shooting game, I cannot say I admire it as 
an accomplishment. The fact is, I love life so much that 
the unnecessary curtailing of any creature's existence is 
more than distasteful to me. Not long ago, while in 
Scotland, I saw a young and charming woman, who was 
surely not of a bloodthirsty nature, kill two stags in one 
morning. The first she shot through the heart. With 
the aid of a powerful pair of field-glasses, I watched her 
stalk the second. First she crawled on all fours up a 
long burn ; emerging hot and panting, not to say wet and 
dirty, she then continued her scramble up a steep hill, 
taking advantage of any cover afforded by the ground, 

194 




'-?! 




b- ;•;< 






ISABELLA, CO.MTESSE DE PARIS 
Mother of the Queen of Portugal and the Duchess D'Aosta 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

or remaining in a petrified attitude if by chance a hind 
happened to look up. The stag, meanwhile, quite obliv- 
ious of the danger lurking at hand, was apparently en- 
joying himself. Surrounded by his hinds, he trusted to 
their vigilance, and lay in the bracken in the brilliant 
sunshine. I could just see his fine antlered head, when 
suddenly, realizing that all was not well, he bounded up, 
making a magnificent picture as he stood gazing round, 
his head thrown back in defiance. Crash! hang! and this 
glorious animal, became a maimed and tortured thing. 
Shot through both forelegs, he attempted to gallop down 
the hill, his poor broken limbs tumbling about him, while 
the affrighted hinds stood riveted to the spot, looking at 
their lord and master with horror, not unmixed with cu- 
riosity. I shall never forget the sight, or that of the dogs 
set on him, and the final scene, over which I draw a veil. 
If these things must be done, how can a woman bring 
herself to do them ? 

But this digression has taken me far from the Com- 
tesse de Paris. She cherished ambitious schemes for the 
Comte de Paris, and at that time was confident that he 
would eventually become King of France. 

We had long conversations about the Primrose 
League, which interested her vastly. So greatly did she 
admire its organization that she started a league in 
France on more or less the same lines. "La Ligue de la 
Rose," as it was called, had for its symbol "la Rose de 
France," and its object was the restoration of the mon- 
archy. Unlike the Primrose League, I fear it did not 
make the stir or gain the recruits that she hoped. Never- 
theless, for some years it flourished in a mild way. Her 
Royal Highness having meanwhile honored me with 

197 



REMINISCENCES OF 

her friendship, we met frequently, and she constantly 
sought my advice as to the details of her scheme. An in- 
spired article on the "Rose League" appeared in the 
"Primrose League Gazette," which gave her great satis- 
faction. 

Sheen House 

East Sheen, Surrey, 25 Juillet, 1888. 

Ma chere Lady Randolph,^ 

Vous avez bien voulu vous interesser un peu a nos essais de 
Ligue en France, et je me permets de vous envoyer les deux 
circulaires qui seront imprimees et distribuees dans quelques 
jours, j'espere que vous voudrez bien les lire avec indulgence et 
les garder pour que si plus tard nous arrivons a un beau resultat 
nous puissions en causer ensemble. Vous savez que c'est vous 
qui m'avez donne I'idee de faire quelque chose de resemblable en 
France, c'est done a vous que je pense tou jours en travaillant a 
cette grande entreprise, et je vous dois deja avant de commencer 
la ferme foi de reussir en suivant votre exemple. La Rose 
n'egalera jamais la Primrose; mais peut-etre plus tard elles se 
retrouveront souvent. 

Si je ne parle pas du Primrose League dans les Circulaires 
c'est uniquement par .modestie n'osant pas comparer I'immense 
succes de la premiere fleur avec les tres modestes commencements 
de la seconde, mais dans toutes mes lettres particulieres et a 
toutes les personnes qui avec moi veulent bien travailler j'en 
parle pour leur donner a tous la meme idee ; celle de reussir 
comme vous. 

Pardonnez moi mon ambition et en attendant que j'aie le 
plaisir de vous revoir croyez moi tou jours 

Votre bien afFectionee 

Isabelle, Comtesse de Paris. 

1 See Appendix for translation of this and following letter. 

198 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Sheen House 

East Sheen, Surrey, 7 Oct. 1888. 
Ma chere Lady Randolph, 

Je ne sais pas si vous etes a Londres mais je vous ecris un 
petit mot pour vous dire que j'ai re9u hier soir un numero du 
Primrose League Gazette contenant un article des plus aimables 
sur La Rose Ligue; je viens vous remercier et de I'envoi et de 
Particle, car je suis bien sure que vous y etes pour une bien 
grande part; si je me suis trompee je vous prie de transmettre 
mes remerciements a I'auteur. La Primrose League est vraiment 
bien aimable en faisant si bon accueil a sa soeur cadette La Rose 
Ligue. 

Je vous ai envoye avant hier un numero du Soleil pour que 
vous puissiez voir en entier notre nouveau papier, vous y avez sans 
doute trouve des phrases que vous connaissiez et j'espere que 
vous m'approuverez, j'ai je crois suivi vos conseils. Je re9ois 
de tous cotes de tres bon rapports, il parait que la Rose marche 
a merveille, j'espere que ce beau zele durera longtemps, et c'est 
a vous la premiere que nous devrons notre succes. 

J'espere avoir bientot le plaisir de vous revoir, et en attendant 
je vous prie de me croire 

Votre bien affectionee 

ISABELLE, COMTESSE DS PaRIS. 

It is sad to think that so much energy and zeal came 
to nought. The "Ligue," as well as its object, is a 
thing of the past. But in France political movements 
are not furthered by the help of women: the existing 
form of government and the ridicule attached to their 
public appearance preclude them from airing their views 
or promoting a cause on a platform. Besides, the 
majority of Frenchwomen are too much occupied with 

201 



REMINISCENCES OF 

the domestic affairs of their homes or with business mat- 
ters to give much attention to anything outside. How 
different from the part Enghshwomen play in politics, 
and particularly in London society, where they are more 
important agents than in any other capital of the world ! 
This is owing to the happy blending of matters social 
and political which an established order of things has fos- 
tered for centuries. 

Among the people at Sandringham were Lord and 
Lady Salisbury. I did not know Lady Salisbury well, 
but she impressed me as being a woman of great strength 
of character and full of common sense. One could not 
help liking her, notwithstanding a rather brusque man- 
ner. I fancy she detested affectations of any kind, and 
her masterly mind must have disdained the ordinary 
society twaddle to which she was often called upon to 
listen. I remember a heated argument on the duties 
incumbent on a politician's wife, which, according to 
her, were rather arduous, involving the necessity of 
making a study of the various political problems of the 
day. I confess I felt no desire to tackle either the Plan 
of Campaign or the Budget, which were the two promi- 
nent questions of the moment, and thought I could help 
Randolph in other ways. 

In looking at the old photograph of the party, I see 
that Lord Salisbury and Randolph are standing side by 
side. How little did I or any one else there realize the 
great and irretrievable breach which was to come so soon 
and so suddenly between these two! In the midst of 
delightful people, occupations, and amusements, I was 
quite happy and far from imagining that the political 
horizon was not clear. 

202 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

The celebration of Queen Victoria's Jubilee (1887) 
was the occasion of every sort of festivity. London was 
crowded to its utmost, and people came from all parts of 
the world to see the pageant and the crowning ceremony 
in Westminster Abbey. The day was blessed with the 
proverbial "Queen's weather." Rarely had I seen Lon- 
don look so festive — blue sky and bright sunshine, flags 
everywhere, and an excited yet patient crowd filling the 
thoroughfares and the route of the procession. As the wife 
of an ex-Cabinet Minister, I was given a good place in 
the Abbey. The magnificent sight impressed me greatly. 
Gorgeous uniforms and beautiful dresses were enlianced 
by the "dim religious light," pierced here and there by 
the rays of the summer sun as it streamed through the 
ancient stained-glass windows. The Queen, represent- 
ing the glory and continuity of England's history, sat 
alone in the middle of the great nave, a small, pathetic 
figure surrounded by that vast assembly, whose gaze was 
riveted upon her. A wave of emotion passed over it as 
silent tears were seen to be dropping one by one upon the 
Queen's folded hands. Perhaps the fact that the Te 
Deum which was being played had been composed by the 
Prince Consort added yet another note of sadness to the 
burden of her memories. 

Once again I had occasion to see Queen Victoria at a 
great function. This was at the opening of the Imperial 
Institute. The Queen, with a look of intense anxiety on 
her face, sat on a throne in the middle of the huge hall, 
which was filled to overflowing. She had to make a 
speech, which evidently was a great ordeal ; but when she 
did so, her voice, soft and gentle as it was, never wavered 
for a moment, and every word could be heard by all. 

203 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Many were the public functions of all kinds to which 
we were bidden that year in honor of the Queen's Jubi- 
lee. Among them was an invitation from the White 
Star Company to cruise for a few days on board one of 
their ships, and to see the Naval Review, which was to 
take place in the Solent. In the middle of the London 
season, suffering from the heat and glare of a big city in 
the month of June, the prospect was a delightful one. 
The trip proved most enjoyable. The Duchess of Man- 
chester (since Duchess of Devonshire), Mr. Chamber- 
lain, Lord Hartington, and a host of well-known and 
agreeable people, were on board. Great were the politi- 
cal f oregatherings ; arguments and discussions never 
ceased. Although Mr. Chamberlain had left Gladstone 
and the Home-Rule Party, he was not yet prepared to 
join the Conservatives, notwithstanding the overtures 
made to him by Lord Salisbury. Tired of inactivity, he 
was revolving at that time, in conjunction with Ran- 
dolph, a scheme for a new party which was to be called 
the National Party, and both were anxious that Lord 
Hartington should join it. The moment was thought 
propitious, and it was settled that Mr. Chamberlain 
should speak to Lord Hartington. That afternoon I 
was sitting on the deck with the latter when Mr. Cham- 
berlain joined us. Drawing up a chair, he suddenly 
plunged into the matter without preliminaries and 
with his usual directness. Lord Hartington, taken au 
depourvu, looked uncomfortable and answered very 
shortly. Mr. Chamberlain, full of his scheme, pressed 
the points home, taking no notice of the monosyllables he 
got in answer. But after a time the frozen attitude of 
Lord Hartington began to take eif ect, and the conversa- 

204 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

tion languished and died. I believe the subject was 
never reopened. In any case, nothing came of it. I 
imagine that Lord Hartington was a difficult person to 
persuade against his will and most uncompromisingly 
definite in his likes and dislikes. I have always thought 
that there existed a gulf between him and Mr. Chamber- 
lain that no political expediency could really bridge. 
But of course this is only my own opinion. 

I have heard Randolph say that in most political ques- 
tions he considered Lord Hartington's judgment infal- 
lible. He was slow, but sure. If an important paper, 
requiring an early answer, was sent to him to read, it 
might be pigeonholed for weeks. But when he did read 
it, he would at once discover any flaw or weakness, and 
his verdict generally carried the day. In private life no 
one was pleasanter or easier to get on with than the late 
Duke of Devonshire. His rather stern countenance be- 
lied a mirth-loving soul, and he thoroughly appreciated 
a joke. 

He was rather careless about his clothes and once on 
his birthday his friends, as a joke, sent him every con- 
ceivable sort of head-gear from the ceremonious silk hat 
to the flannel cricketing cap. My contribution, I remem- 
ber, was a pot hat. For hours they poured in ; I believe 
he received over fifty. In old days before he succeeded 
to the dukedom we used to stay with him at Hardwick 
Hall for shooting-parties. It was a wonderful place, 
full of thrilling historical associations. I never tired of 
hearing about them, or of wandering through the beauti- 
ful rooms filled with memories of Mary, Queen of Scots, 
most ill-fated of Queens, and of her gaoler the great 
"Bess of Hardwick" (Countess of Shrewsbury), ances- 
10 205 



REMINISCENCES OF 

tress of our host. During our visit Randolph slept in 
"Queen Mary's Bedroom" which was of small dimen- 
sions, and had a window by the side of the door so that 
the unfortunate occupant could be spied upon at all 
times of the day or night. Two centuries later Marie 
Antoinette was put to the same indignity in the Concier- 
gerie. Bess of Hardwick, when she pulled down the old 
Hall to build the present house (begun 1576, finished 
1599) evidently intended this room for her prisoner, but 
Queen Mary did not live to occupy it. Beheaded in 
1586, all her belongings were subsequently removed to 
it, including the original bed-hangings and coverlet 
M^orked by herself. Hence the name given to this room 
by tradition. My imagination ran riot as I gazed upon 
the screens and cushions worked by the Queen during 
the long years of her captivity. Who knows? On 
these very canvases her tears may have been as numerous 
as were the stitches with which she tried to find solace. 

Close by was the Long Gallery which was supposed to 
be haunted by the restless spirit of the redoubtable Bess, 
not to speak of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. 
There are some lines written apropos of this Gallery by 
the beautiful and celebrated Georgiana, Duchess of 
Devonshire, who spent long periods after her marriage 
at Chatsworth and Hardwick, whence she writes in 
French to her mother, Countess Spencer: 

Sept. 3, 1777. 
"We set out for Hardwicke this morning. . . . Hardwicke 
looked extremely well. We walk'd all about the house, & paid 
our compliments to Queen Mary & Queen Elizabeth. I never 
look at the melancholy picture of Mary which was drawn in the 
10th year of her imprisonment, and which has a countenance 

206 




THH MARiillS l_il- ]IAK I INi. n IN. 1111 LAlli lllKli I.U-' DH \'l iNSUlKli 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

that looks worn by misfortune without pitying to the greatest 
degree the misery she must have Hv'd in — for even the pomp she 
was treated with, those melancholy hangings and coffin like 
beds — must have added to the tristesse of her situation". . . 

And again : 

(Wednesday, the 14th of Feb. 1780.) 
", . . Saehant comme vous le f aites notre solitude ici, que nous 
avons pour toute societe, les arbres du Pare, et Les portraits de 
La Gallerie et Les Ombres des bonnes gens qui y sont peints, 
ici . . . 

Ou nous avons pour compagnie 

L'Ombre de La Reine Marie, 

Qui eut un nombre etonnant 

De maux, de soucis et d'amants. 

Ou bien par sa bonte extreme 

La Grande Elisabeth meme 

Sort quelques fois du Canevas 

Pour demander comment I'on va, 

(Celle qui regnant sur la terre 

De sa Virginite fut fiere 

Et si I'on croit en ces temps-la 

A tort la Reine s'en piqua)." 

I remember having a large, tapestried room the door 
of which had a keyhole big enough to put one's hand 
through, and which gave on to the Presence Chamber. 
The first night I thought the arras seemed to move 
about, so arming myself with a poker, I thrust it here 
and there, when to my dismay I felt the tapestry give, 
and on looking behind, saw a small, winding stone stair- 
case disappearing into unknown depths. This made me 
so nervous that I sat shivering for hours in an arm-chair, 

209 



REMINISCENCES OF 

surrounded by all the candles I could find, until I fell 
asleep from sheer fatigue. It was with quite an emotion 
that I one day put on a puce satin cloak that had be- 
longed to Bess of Hardwick, hoping perhaps that it 
might have the virtues of Elijah's mantle. 

Lord Hartington, in showing us some of the pictures, 
came across a portrait of one of the Dukes of Devonshire 
of whom he told rather an amusing story. The agent 
came to the Duke, complaining that his son, the Lord 
Hartington of the day, was spending enormous sums of 
money. "Well," said the Duke, "is n't there plenty of 
it?" 

Sir Henry Wolff, Randolph, and I were once staying 
at Buxton, and we went over as tourists to visit Chats- 
worth. When I told Lord Hartington that I had been 
there, and was much impressed with the grandeur and 
beauty of the place, all he said was, "Did you break any- 
thing?" 

Ten years later another naval review was held to cele- 
brate the Diamond Jubilee, at which I was also present, 
having again accepted an invitation to spend three days 
on board the Teutonic, H.M. armed cruiser for the 
nonce. Among the guests I found Mr. John Morley, 
Lord and Lady Charles Beresford, Sir John and Lady 
Lister Kaye, Lord and Lady Lonsdale, and many other 
friends. By the irony of fate the captain had particu- 
larly picked out Sir John Gorst to sit next to me at 
dinner. We had not spoken for several years, but of 
course I ignored the estrangement. 

Everything on this occasion was wonderfully well 
done, and we had many privileges for seeing all there 
was to be seen. The fleet in array made a splendid show, 

210 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

and at night the harsh ugly Hnes and grim reahties of 
the ironclads disappeared in the glare of thousands of 
electric lights, which made a surprisingly brilliant spec- 
tacle. The day of the review Lord Lonsdale interested 
and amused the fleet in general and the Teutonic in par- 
ticular by dashing about in a turbine which shot in and 
out among the battle-ships at great speed. A turbine 
was a great novelty at that time and we were all greatly 
excited at seeing it. 

In this year (1887), Randolph, having more leisure 
since he was out of office, became keener about the 
turf. We had both of us often attended race-meetings, 
particularly Newmarket, but till then he had not owned 
an}^ race-horses. In partnership with Lord Dunraven, 
he now bought a number of horses, which were trained 
by R. Sherwood. For some years the stable was very 
successful. We took a small house (Bemstead Manor) 
on the Chieveley estate, about three miles from the town 
of Newmarket, where I passed many a pleasant week. 
We would ride out in the early morning from six to 
seven to see the horses do their gallops. It was a most 
healthy and invigorating life, and I became greatly in- 
terested, spending hours with Randolph at Sherwood's, 
when he and the trainer would study the racing calendar 
and decide upon the entries for the horses. 

Newmarket has become very different from what it 
was in the early eighties, when I first went there. Then 
only the old stands existed, some of which date back 
quite two hundred years. The ladies who came were 
habitues, and did not muster a dozen at the outside. 
Among them were Caroline Duchess of Montrose, who 
was a large owner of horses ; the Duchess of Manchester 

211 



REMINISCENCES OF 

(now Duchess of Devonshire) ; and Lady Cardigan, 
who would drive up in an old-fashioned, yellow tilbury, 
in which she sat all day. Lady Bradford and Lady 
Cadogan were always there; as were Lady Castlereagh 
(now Lady Londonderry), Lady Gerard, and a few 
others. It was the fashion to ride, those who did not 
appearing in ordinary country clothes. Nowadays vel- 
vets and feathers are worn by the mob which throngs the 
stands, many not knowing a horse from a cow, but com- 
ing because it is the fashion. I have heard amusing tales 
of the ignorance displayed on these occasions. One 
lady was overheard declaring that as she had not been to 
Newmarket for years, she had quite "forgotten the 
names of the horses," and another, that some one had 
told her the name of "the yearling which was going to 
win the Derby at the next Newmarket meeting." A 
charming duchess, who cares only to see her friends at 
the races, generally brings her needlework, and takes no 
heed of the strenuous efforts of the horses and jockeys as 
they race past her. 

The shining light of our stable was the "Abbesse de 
Jouarre," for which Randolph gave £300 at the Don- 
caster sales, eventually selling her for <£7000. I had 
been reading "L' Abbesse de Jouarre," written by Renan 
in order, so it is said, to disprove the assertions of his 
friends that he could not write something imaginative. 
I suggested the name as a fitting one for the beautiful 
black mare, which was by "Trappist" out of "Festive." 
She was a gallant little thing, with a heart bigger than 
her body, and her size made the public so sceptical that 
she invariably started at long odds. When she won the 
Oaks those who backed her got 20 to 1. Neither Ran- 

212 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

dolph nor I witnessed her triumph. He was fishing in 
Norway, and I was with some friends who had a house 
on the Thames. On that day we happened to reach 
Boulter's Lock shortly after the hour of the race. Asking 
the lock-keeper which horse had won the big race, he 
replied, to my great delight and amusement, "The Ab- 
cess on the Jaw." The "Abbesse," after winning many 
races and producing numerous progeny, died in the 
breeding stables at Welbeck. It was with great satis- 
faction that I witnessed her grandson "Land League" 
win the Cambridgeshire in 1907. 



213 



CHAPTER X 



RUSSIA 



DURING the winter of 1881 we went to Russia, 
where we spent a most interesting and dehght- 
ful month. The Marquis de Breteuil, whose 
ancestor had been French Ambassador to the court of 
the Great Catherine, and Mr. Trafford made up our 
party. Everything was new and attractive to us. The 
people were charming and hospitable, and seemed full of 
bonhomie, and we saw no signs of that grinding despot- 
ism and tyranny which is supposed to be synonymous 
with Russian life. My first impression of the scenery 
was one of disappointment, the country between Berlin 
and St. Petersburg, or rather the part beyond the Rus- 
sian frontier, being flat and uninteresting. The waste 
and dreary expanse, when covered with snow, inspires a 
feeling of deep melancholy. To live for months every 
year buried in that cold, monotonous silence is quite 
enough, I should imagine, to account for the vein of sad- 
ness which seems to be the basis of the Russian character, 
and which betrays itself in all Russian music and paint- 
ing. As our snow-laden train crawled into the station in 
St. Petersburg, and we stepped out joyfully and 
stretched our cramped and tired limbs, the broad streets, 
full of life and animation, and as bright as day with 

214 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL ' 

electricity, seemed a delightful contrast. I do not know 
what I expected to see, but the city disappointed me with 
its modern appearance. Looking at the houses of rather 
mean exterior, with their small double windows and tiny 
doors, little did I dream of the splendor within. Space, 
however, seemed to be immaterial, and this struck me the 
more forcibly, accustomed as I was to London, with its 
narrow streets and considered inches. 

The French system of apartments is common in St. 
Petersburg, although not so general as in Paris; but 
where it exists, the entrance and staircases are much 
more decorated and cared for than is usual where several 
families live under the same roof, and this gives the 
appearance of a private dwelling. In the great houses I 
was struck by the very large number of servants, and 
was told that in the cases of some rich noblemen whole 
families of useless dependents — mujiks, with their wives 
and children — were installed in the lower regions. If 
this was the case in town, what must it have been in the 
country? Such generosity, combined with the utter ab- 
sence of real supervision in the financial management of 
the establishment, must have been a heavy tax on the 
largest fortune, and it is not surprising that the Russian 
nobility of to-day, with the added burden of the late war 
and the internal dissension of their unhappy country, are 
in an impoverished state. 

However, we saw nothing of this, and all the enter- 
tainments and functions to which we went, whether 
private or public, were extremely well done. Russians 
dearly love light, and on these occasions made their 
houses as bright as day, with a profusion of candles as 
well as- electric light. Masses of flowers, notwithstand- 

215 



REMINISCENCES OF 

ing their rarity in such a rigorous chmate, decorated 
every available place, and the staircases were lined with 
footmen in gorgeous liveries. Although many of the 
houses were very smartly furnished with all that money 
could buy and modern art suggest, they struck me as 
lacking in the real refinement and true artistic taste that 
one sees in Paris ; but the French are born connoisseurs, 
and think of little else than artistic comfort. 

In those days the average Russian drawing-room was 
superior to the ordinary English one. If there was a 
lack of imagination, there was also an absence of tawdri- 
ness, which contrasted favorably with the overcrowded 
London room, where, at that time, the esthetic and Jap- 
anese craze reigned supreme — where evenly balanced 
structures of paper fans, Liberty silks, and photographs 
were thought decorative, not to speak of labyrinths of 
tinj^ tables, chairs, and screens. I was prepared to suffer 
a great deal from the cold, but found, as in most North- 
ern countries, that the houses were heated to suffocation, 
and the windows were rarely opened, a small ventilator 
being thought quite sufficient. Russians assert that all 
foreigners bring so much caloric with them that they do 
not feel the cold at first. This may be so, but there is no 
doubt that they feel the want of air and the stuffiness of 
the rooms, which dries up the skin and takes away the 
appetite. 

On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor 
life of sleighing and skating. Comfortably seated in a 
sleigh, behind a good, fat coachman to keep the wind off, 
I never wearied of driving about. The rapidity with 
which one dashes noiselessly along is most exhilarating, 
notwithstanding a biting wind or blinding snow. The 

216 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

ordinary Russian sleigh, smaller than the American cut- 
ter, barely holds two, but the thick fur rug, even in a 
common droshky, or cab, is so well fastened down that it 
helps to keep one from falling out, besides protecting 
from the cold. The troikas, wide sleighs with three 
horses, of which the middle one trots while the other two 
gallop, have become rather rare, and are used princi- 
pally for traveling or for expeditions in the country. 
Nothing is prettier than a really smart sleigh with two 
horses, one trotting and the other galloping, covered with 
a large net of dark blue cord fastened to the front of the 
sleigh, to keep the snow from being kicked into the face 
of the occupant. The coachman, with his fur-lined coat 
gathered in at the waist, and his bright red or blue octag- 
onal cap with gold braid, drives with his arms extended 
in order to preserve his circulation. I was much im- 
pressed with the fact that the coachmen hardly ever 
seemed to use their short, thick whips, which they kept 
carefully hidden. A footman stood on a small step be- 
hind, his tall hat and ordinary great coat looking a little 
incongruous, I confess, and marring an otherwise pic- 
turesque sight. The horses are so beautifully broken 
that a word will stop them. The whole time I was in 
Russia I never saw a horse ill-used. No need for a "So- 
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" there. 
The Isvoshnik who owns his cab-horse looks upon him as 
his friend, and very often shares the animal's stall at 
night. 

Among the many acquaintances we made were M. 
and Mme. Polovstow, who showed us a great deal of 
hospitality. He was President of the Council, a very 
important post, and was high in the favor of the Czar. 

217 



REMINISCENCES OF 

His early history was rather romantic. As private sec- 
retary to the millionaire Steiglitz, Polovstow won the 
affections and the hand of his adopted daughter, to 
whom Steiglitz left the whole of his fortune. 

Among many institutions founded by her adopted 
father, Mme. Polovstow took us to see the "Steiglitz 
School of Art," which was kept up at her own expense. 
I was much interested to find in the museum a certain 
Italian cabinet which the late Duke of Marlborough had 
sold from Blenheim, and the destination of which had 
always been a mystery. 

One night we went to the opera with them to hear "La 
vie pour le Czar" by Glinka, charming music, imprint 
with all the national characteristics of sadness and wild, 
boisterous gaiety; but the orchestration however seemed 
rather feeble. All the ladies wore high dresses, which took 
away from the brilliant appearance one is. accustomed to 
in other opera-houses. Sometimes the performance was 
entirely ballet — no singing — and one night I had the op- 
portunity of seeing the famous dancer Zucchi, in "Es- 
meralda." She was then in her prime, and she certainly 
was a marvelous dancer of the old school. 

After the opera, enveloped in great fur coats and caps, 
we drove in troikas to the islands in the Neva, where the 
Polovstows had a charming pavilion. We were ushered 
into a large conservatory brilliantly lighted and full of 
orchids and rare flowers, a dazzling and wonderful con- 
trast to the snow-clad scenery outside, on which "the cold, 
round moon shone deeply down," turning everything to 
silver. Hidden by palms, a band of Tziganes was play- 
ing inspiriting melodies, while in the dining-room an 
excellent supper was served on genuine Louis XV plate. 

218 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

We did not get back to our hotel until the small hours of 
the morning. Russians, I found to my cost, love late 
hours and seem never to go to bed, the evening generally 
beginning for them at midnight. 

On one occasion I was taken for a spin on the Neva 
with a fast trotter, which I did not enjoy quite so much, 
owing to the end of my nose being nearly frozen. When 
we returned, my host rushed up to me and rubbed it vio- 
lently with snow, as it looked ominously white. So long 
as your nose keeps a glorious red, you are safe. 

While in St. Petersburg I was able to indulge to my 
heart's content in my favorite pastime of skating, which 
I did on the lake of the Palais de la Tauride, a royal 
palace where Russian society congregated. But great 
was mj'^ disappointment to find that the Russians did not 
care for figure-skating, and, in fact, did not skate well. 
I was told that had it not been for the Czarina (Marie) , 
who was an adept in the art, people would not have 
appreciated skating at all. As it was, they much pre- 
ferred tobogganing down the ice-hills, half a dozen or 
more persons in a sleigh. It was in one of these that I 
had my first experience of this sport, and was duly 
"blooded" (if one may call it so) by being placed in the 
front seat of the sleigh and shot into a bank of ^now. 
The ice-hills, which are built on the lake, are merely 
blocks of ice placed on a wooden path raised to a plat- 
form at a steep angle, which you ascend by a stair- 
case. To go down one of these hills on skates for the 
first time gives the same delightful feeling of satisfaction 
and pleasure which in hunting is experienced in getting 
over a big fence, leaving the field a bit behind. It is not 
an easy matter, as the pace is terrific, and coming to the 

219 



REMINISCENCES OF 

level again at the foot of the hill makes it difficult to 
keep one's feet; but if successful one shoots across the 
whole lake. Many were the accidents, and I saw one 
poor lady break her arm. 

Sir Robert Morier, the British Ambassador, was away 
when we first arrived, but later he and his family showed 
us great kindness and hospitality. Meanwhile we were 
bidden to Gatchina to have an audience with the Czar 
and the Czarina. Gatchina, about an hour by train from 
St. Petersburg, is the Windsor of Russia. It is a curious 
mixture of splendor and unpretentiousness, and is ap- 
proached from the station through a series of small parks, 
which must be lovely in summer. I was surprised to see 
so few sentries : to all appearances the Czar was not more 
guarded than the King at Windsor. The entrance to 
Gatchina on the public road had only one sentry. 

The palace has no great architectural merits, but its 
six hundred rooms and endless corridors were filled with 
priceless Oriental china, and the walls were adorned with 
tapestries and treasures of art. Coureurs in black-and- 
orange liveries, their caps embellished by tossing black, 
white, and orange feathers, gave a slightly barbaric ap- 
pearance to the scene, which was added to by the mass of 
bowing attendants, and by two Nubians dressed in white, 
with turbans and scimitars, standing outside the Czarina's 
audience chamber. 

While waiting to be received, we were shown into an 
apartment which savored of the early Victorian style, 
with paintings of mediocre quality. Here a dejeuner 
was served, and afterward we went to our respective 
audiences. Randolph stayed quite an hour with the 
Czar, who discussed all the political questions of the day. 

220 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

The Czarina, whom I had had the honor of knowing as 
Czarevna at Cowes some years before, was most gracious 
and charming, reminding me of her sister, Queen Alex- 
andra, although not so beautiful. She asked endless 
questions about England and all that was going on 
politically and socially, and finally, having arrived "au 
bout de notre Latin" and Randolph not appearing, I 
was taken to see the palace. 

Among many rooms, I remember a large hall worthy 
of an old English country-house, full of comfortable 
arm-chairs and writing-tables, games, and toys. I even 
spied a swing. In that room their Majesties often dined, 
I was told, even when they had guests, and after dinner 
the table would be removed, and they would spend the 
remainder of the evening there. This seemed strange to 
me when I thought of the many hundred rooms in the 
enormous building. But their tastes were of the sim- 
plest, and the Czar particularly affected tiny rooms, 
though they were much at variance with his towering 
frame and majestic bearing. His manner impressed me 
with a conviction of sincerity and earnestness. 

Before leaving St. Petersburg, we were invited once 
more to Gatchina. This time it was in the evening; a 
special train conveyed about one hundred and fifty 
guests. On arriving, we were met by a long stream of 
royal carriages, which took us to the palace, where we 
witnessed an entertainment consisting of three short 
plays in three languages, after which supper was served. 
I had been given a seat in the third row, but when the 
Royalties came in, I was bidden to sit behind the Em- 
press, who every now and then would turn round and 
make some pleasant remark. 

223 



REMINISCENCES OF 

There are some curious customs at the Russian court 
which do not harmonize with one's idea of a despotic and 
autocratic sovereign. While we were sitting at small 
tables, the Czar walked about talking to his guests, all 
of whom, including officers, remained seated. It appears 
that that was the habit of Peter the Great, who disliked 
ceremony of any kind ; and as tradition is everything in 
Russia, this custom was religiously kept. There is no 
doubt that the etiquette of the Russian court is much less 
rigid than it is in England or Germany. For instance, 
it is not the custom to treat the members of the Imperial 
Family with so much deference as in other European 
courts ; I noticed that the ladies did not think of courtesy- 
ing to a young Grand Duke, and would rise only when 
the Czarina did, or at the entrance of the Czar. So too, 
in making their obeisance, they bowed stiffly from the 
waist, which was even more ungraceful than the English 
bob, our apology for a courtesy. The men, on the other 
hand, were very deferential, particularly to the ladies. 
At private dinners, when we were announced, the host 
would rush forward, seize my hand, and kiss it, and then 
proceed to introduce all the men present. I then had to 
ask to be presented to every lady, and duly call on them 
personally the next day. This I found very irksome and 
wearying, as it stood in the way of my sight-seeing. 

One of the most interesting sights we were privileged 
to see was the New Year's Reception at the Winter 
Palace. At eleven o'clock in the morning the whole 
court attended, and society paid its respects to the sov- 
ereign. The Czar, dressed on this particular occasion in 
the uniform of the Gardes du Corps, gave his arm to the 
Czarina, and was followed by the imperial family. The 

224 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

train of each Grand Duchess was carried by four young 
officers. I remember that that of the Grand Duchess 
Vladimir was of silver brocade, with a sable border half 
a yard in depth. These were followed by long files of 
ladies-in-waiting, dressed in green and gold, and maids- 
of -honor in red and gold. The procession ended when 
all the court officials, resplendent in gorgeous uniforms 
and covered with decorations, walked with measured 
steps through the long suite of rooms, and lined up on 
each side with officers in the red, white, or blue of their 
regiments. To these the Czar spoke as he passed, 
saying, "Good morning, my children," to which they 
replied in unison, "We are happy to salute you." In 
other rooms ladies were assembled, dressed in the national 
costume of every hue, and covered with jewels, mostly 
cabochon sapphires and emeralds. All wore that most 
becoming of head-dresses— the "Kakoshnik," made of 
various materials from diamonds to plain velvet. The 
Czarina, with her graceful figure and small head, looked 
very stately in a magnificent tiara, and a blue velvet and 
ermine train, as the cortege passed on to the chapel to hear 
mass. This lasted an hour, every one remaining stand- 
ing — an art which Royalty alone seems to have the gift 
of practising without breaking down, and without ap- 
parent effort. 

I cannot adequately describe the scene in the chapel, 
which, if it had been less perfect in detail, might have 
appeared somewhat theatrical. On the right, the dresses 
of the women formed a sea of warm color, the soft red 
and green velvets of the ladies-in-waiting predominat- 
ing, their long, white tulle veils looking like halos romid 
their heads, touched here and there by iridescent rays 
^ 225 



REMINISCENCES OF 

from the rich stained-glass windows. On the left, the 
men presented a scarcely less brilliant group, the dark 
velvet cassock of a Lutheran pastor standing out in ef- 
fective contrast to the vivid red of a Cardinal close by. 
The royal choir, 'which follows the Czar wherever he 
goes, is the finest I have ever heard. Composed of male 
voices alone, without the aid of any instrument (none 
being allowed in the Greek Church ) , it was perfection. 
The character of the music I found rather monotonous, 
and thought to myself how they would have rendered 
one of Handel's grand anthems. 

A story was told me of this celebrated choir. Clad 
originally in funereal black, they offended the eyes of 
a certain maid-of -honor, a favorite of the Czar, who, 
remonstrating with her for not attending mass, asked 
the reason. The lady pleaded that she was suffering 
from melancholy, and that the sight of the black choir 
would aggravate it. The next day her excuse was gone, 
for the choir appeared in crimson surplices braided with 
gold, and they have continued to do so ever since. 

Mass over in the chapel, the procession reformed, a 
pause being made in the room reserved for the ambassa- 
dors and diplomatic corps. His Majesty entered into 
conversation with a favored few, who improved the shin- 
ing hour, since, with the exception of some court balls, 
this was the only occasion they had of speaking to him 
during the year. Finally the ladies passed before the 
Czar and kissed hands, holding on to each other's trains, 
a sight which was more quaint than imposing. When 
all was over, we sat down to luncheon, reaching home 
about three o'clock. Not having any such sumptuous 
day gowns as I found were worn, I was reduced on this 

226 



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LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

occasion to a blue-and-gold tea-gown, which did quite 
well, although it seemed a strange garment in which to 
go to court. On our way out, I saw a sentry guarding a 
magnificent sable cape, which I was told belonged to the 
Czarina. It was nearly black, and it had taken years to 
collect the skins at a cost of £12,000. 

Most Russian ladies smoke cigarettes, and at all the 
parties to which I went one of the reception-rooms was 
set apart for the purpose, which caused a continual 
movement to and fro, — taking off the stiffness of a 
formal party and enabling people to circulate more 
freely. This in itself would insure a pleasant eve- 
ning ; for who has not seen with despair the only chair at 
hand triumphantly seized by a bore, whom nothing but a 
final "Good night" will move? 

Russians, as a rule, have enormous appetites, and are 
very fond of good living, eating — not to mention drink- 
ing — often to excess. Drinking in Russian society is 
not considered a heinous offense. The night we went to 
Gatchina, the officer in charge, the Colonel of the 
Preobejensky Guards, the smartest regiment in Russia, 
who was responsible that night for the safety of the 
Czar, was so drunk that he fell heavily on my shoulder 
when presented to me. Those near laughingly propped 
him up, evidently thinking nothing of it. 

We lunched several times at the celebrated restaurant 
kept by Cubat, where our plates were piled with enor- 
mous helpings fit for a regiment of soldiers. Cubat was 
a most interesting person, late head chef to the Czar, 
whose service he had only just left. When asked the 
reason, he said that the supervision in the kitchen of the 
royal palace was so irksome and stringent,— dozens of 

229 



REMINISCENCES OF 

detectives watching his every gesture and pouncing on 
every pinch of salt, — that the salary of £2000 a year 
did not compensate him. He later bought the hotel 
Paiva in the Champs-Elysees and started the Cubat Res- 
taurant ; but the prices were so high that it soon came to 
an end. 

One night we dined with the Grand Duke and Duchess 
Serge at the beautiful old "Beloselski" palace. It was 
built in the reign of the great Catherine, whose hand 
is found in everything of real taste in Russia. Deco- 
rated and furnished by the best French artists of the 
day, to whom the Empress was a generous patron, — 
with its lovely Bouchers and carved white panelings, — 
I thought it quite the finest house we saw while in Russia. 
We waited some time for a belated guest, Mme. X., 
who finally appeared, looking regal, with the most mag- 
nificent jewels I had ever seen on any private person; 
but on her bare arm,, as distinct as possible, was the black- 
and-blue imprint — fingers and thumb — of a brutal hand. 
No one could help noticing it, and the Grand Duchess 
pointed at it in dismay. "No, no," cried Mme. X., 
laughingly, "X. is at Moscow." ''Quelque jalouccr said 
my neighbor. At dinner I sat between the Grand Duke 
Serge, and the Grand Duke Paul, who was quite the 
best-looking man I saw in Russia. I found an old friend 
there in Count Schouwalow, who had been Ambassador 
in London; also M. de Giers and his wife, at whose 
house I afterward met the redoubtable Pobiedonostzeff , 
Head of the Synod, with whom I had a long talk— a 
tall, gaunt man, whose strange yellow teeth, seemingly 
all in one, impressed me more than anything else. Other 
interesting people dining there that evening were 

230 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Count and Countess IgnatiefF, Prince and Princess 
Solytzkow, and Prince and Princess Worouzow. 

No politics nor anything of that nature, whether in- 
ternal or external, were discussed; reticence as regards 
public affairs in Russia is only equaled by discretion as 
regards the affairs of other nations of other countries. 

Much to my chagrin, we did not stay in St. Peters- 
burg for the court balls, but, time passing, went on to 
Moscow. Before leaving, however, we visited the Win- 
ter Palace, Prince Troubetsky, the Lord Chamberlain, 
being deputied to take us over it. He had evidently 
been asked to "do the civil," but was dreadfully bored, 
and hustled us smartly through the immense number of 
rooms and interminable corridors. Even then it took 
us two good hours to get round. 

We also visited the School for Naval Cadets, the 
admiral and his staff receiving us with much ceremony. 
The cadets looked pale and rather hunted. I felt so 
sorry for them, penned in small rooms, with only a strip 
of yard, surrounded by tall brick walls, in which to exer- 
cise. 

Our friend M. de Breteuil did not go to Moscow with 
us, as he was invited by the Grand Duke Vladimir to 
join an expedition to shoot bears. It was significant that 
on the day they started, the Czar, who was setting out 
on some journey at the same hour, had three trains kept 
in readiness, and not even the Grand Duke knew in 
which his brother was traveling ! 

For the tourist there is no comparison between St. 
Petersburg and Moscow, the latter is so much more 
striking and so full of local color. Everything was a 
source of interest, from the narrow streets filled with a 

231 



REMINISCENCES OF 

motley crowd of fur-clad people, the markets with their 
frozen fish or blocks of milk, from which slabs would be 
chopped off, and carcasses of beasts propped up in rows 
against the stalls, to the Kremlin with its palaces and 
churches. "La ville des marchands" as .it is called, is 
full of riches and rich people. We visited the Trichiakoff 
picture-gallery, belonging to a retired merchant, where 
I was amazed to see depicted all the grimmest and most 
gruesome historical incidents of Russian tyranny and 
cruelty : Ivan the Terrible murdering his son, or receiv- 
ing on the red staircase of the Kremlin a hapless envoy 
whose foot he transfixed to the floor with the spiked 
ferule of his w^alking-stick, while he read some unwel- 
come message; Siberian prisoners; horrible deeds perpe- 
trated in the fortress of Peter and Paul ; and many other 
atrocities. 

Shortly after our arrival we received a visit from 
Prince Dolgorouki, the Governor General of Moscow. 
A charming old man of eighty, a grand seigneur of the 
old school, he looked very smart and upright in the uni- 
form of the Chevalier Gardes. He told me that he had 
been twenty-two years Governor of Moscow, and had 
served fifty-six in the army, under three Czars. He 
showed us much civility during our stay, and did all he 
could to make it pleasant. His aide-de-camp, Prince 
Ourousow, went about with us, and as he spoke excellent 
French, we found him most agreeable. Every morning 
he came to inquire what places of interest we should like 
to visit, and expeditions of all kinds were arranged for 
us. One day we drove to the Sparrow Hills, the spot 
where Napoleon stood when he first looked upon the city 
which preferred destruction to his rule. The marble 

232 




GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER, AFTERWARD ALEXANDER IH, AND THE 
PRINCESS DAGMAR, NOW DOWAGER EMPRESS OF RUSSIA 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

statue of himself crowned with laurels which he brought 
with him, is carefully preserved in the Kremlin ; but, by 
the irony of fate, it is a trophy of war — instead of repre- 
senting, as Napoleon intended, the Conqueror of all the 
Russias. It stands there as a reproof to the overweening 
ambition and vanity of the greatest of men. 

With the Kremlin we naturally were enchanted. The 
old Organaya Palace, and the church, with its mosaics 
and Byzantine decorations, mellowed by centuries to a 
wonderful hue, had a mysterious and haunting effect. 
Could those walls have spoken, I have no doubt I should 
have fled in terror. As it was, we were so interested and 
fascinated that we returned again, and this time without 
an escort. I was amazed to find the whole place full of 
beggars and cripples of every description, who pestered 
us for alms; on our previous visit we had not seen one. 
We heard afterwards that the Governor had issued an 
order bidding them all to leave the precincts, that we 
might not be annoyed by them. During our stay in 
Russia, the authorities were everywhere anxious that 
Randolph should have a good impression, and while in 
St. Petersburg we were followed about by two detec- 
tives, not, as we at first imagined, to spy upon us, but to 
see that as distinguished strangers we were not molested 
in any way. 

Prince Dolgorouki was an absolute autocrat in Mos- 
cow. Upon our expressing a wish one night when we 
were dining with him to hear some Tziganes who were 
giving a performance some distance off, a messenger was 
despatched forthwith, and they were ordered to come to 
the Governor's house. They gave us a very good repre- 
sentation of wild national songs and dances. What hap- 

235 



REMINISCENCES OF 

pened to the spectators from whom their performers had 
been snatched we never heard. 

Before leaving, we attended the "Bal de la Noblesse" 
in the Assembly Rooms. It was a fine sight, the floor 
excellent, and the music most inspiriting. There was a 
"Marshal of the Ceremonies," who reminded me of the 
descriptions of Beau Nash — strutting about, full of airs 
and graces, introducing people, arranging and rul- 
ing with great precision the intricacies of the various 
dances. Officers would be brought up to me, clicking 
their spurs together and saluting ; then they would seize 
my waist without a word, and whisk me round the enor- 
mous room at a furious pace, my feet scarcely touching 
the ground. Before I had recovered, breathless and be- 
wildered, I would be handed over to the next, until I had 
to stop from sheer exhaustion. 

I believe when the Court goes to Moscow, which it 
does every four or five years, it is the occasion of the 
appearance of families, bearing the finest old names of 
the country, who generally live buried in the provinces — 
people who look upon society in St. Petersburg very 
much as the Faubourg St. Germain looked on the hetero- 
geneous mass of which society in Paris was composed 
under the Empire ; and who are so Russian that even the 
Mazurka, since it is Polish, must not be danced too well. 

The day we left Moscow our friend the Governor 
came to see us off, and presented me with a lovely bou- 
quet of orchids, which was produced from a band-box at 
the last moment. But before I had had time to sit down, 
the poor flowers were shriveled as though they had been 
scorched, one instant of the twenty-two degrees below 
zero proving too much for them. I left Moscow with 

236 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

great regret, as, apart from the delights of the place, I 
met some charming women, whose society I found most 
agreeable. I gathered from them that Russian ladies, 
not indulging in any sport and taking little or no exer- 
cise, stay a great deal indoors, and in consequence have 
much time to educate themselves, to read, and to culti- 
vate the fine arts. Speaking many languages, and read- 
ing widely, they form a most attractive society. It is 
said that Russians are not given to intimacy, and that for- 
eigners never get to know them well. I think that this 
is so, but I see no reason to credit them with less warmth 
of heart and faculty for lasting friendship than other 
nations possess. It was, however, a matter of surprise 
to me that women so eminently fitted by nature and edu- 
cation to influence and help those struggling in the 
higher vocations of life, should have seemingly but one 
ambition — to efface themselves, to attract no attention, 
to arouse no jealousies. Yet I doubt not that their influ- 
ence is felt, though it may not be open and fearless as in 
England or America. As a refutation of the supposed 
insincerity of Russian character, it is an undisputed fact 
that a succes dfestime is unknown, and the stranger or 
diplomatist, however well recommended, or however good 
his position, is not by any means invited to the fetes as 
a matter of course. After the first introduction, he is 
asked only according to his host's appreciation of him. 
I am not speaking of official circles, where policy is the 
master of ceremonies. The same may be said of the 
London society of to-day. Although formerly all for- 
eigners and the staff of the Embassies were personce 
gratcB, nowadays English society has become too large, 
and a hostess has to pick and choose. 

237 



REMINISCENCES OF 

I cannot leave the subject of Russia and the Russians 
without speaking of the one it has been my privilege to 
know best; namely, the Dowager Duchess of Saxe- 
Coburg-Gotha, formerly Duchess of Edinburgh. We 
used to see her very often when she lived in England. A 
warm-hearted woman of rare intelligence and excep- 
tional education, her early life as the only daughter of 
the Czar (Alexander II) was a most interesting one, as, 
quite apart from the exalted position she held, it was her 
duty for two hours daily to read her father's corre- 
spondence and the secret news of the world, in itself a 
liberal education. An excellent musician, Rubinstein 
once said of her, so she told me, ''Vous ne jouez pas si 
mal pour une Princesse" We frequently played to- 
gether duets on two pianos, or quartettes in which Lady 
Mary Fitzwilliam, my sister Mrs. Leslie, and Signor 
Albanesi would join. A fine linguist, speaking fluently 
several languages, the Duchess wrote them equally well. 

FROM H. I. AND R. H. THE DUCHESS OF EDINBURGH, 
NOW MARIE, DUCHESS OF SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA 

Stuttgart, June 16, 1886. 
Dear Lady Randolph : 

I had no time to thank you from Coburg for your kind, long 
letter from Hatfield. How triumphant you must be, and how 
pleased Lord Randolph is ! Please give him my heartfelt good 
wishes on this parliamentary success. And so the G. 0. M. is 
done for, at least for the present moment, and you all think that 
you have saved England! But when the new elections have to 
begin again, what hard work for you, though you are so full of 
energy ! 

288 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

I hope you enjoyed Ascot and that the hideous climate did 
not spoil, as usual, all the enjoyments. 

I have come to Stuttgart for a few days on a visit to my 
aunt, the Queen of Wiirtemberg. She is a very charming and 
amiable old lady, a real grande dame of the past generation. 
The Queen lives in a most charming villa outside the town, with 
lovely grounds, and such roses as I have never seen before any- 
where. The country around is very pretty, and a short stay 
here is very enjoyable. . . . 

We are dreadfully struck by the tragic death of the King of 
Bavaria. As a child, I used to know him well : he was a charm- 
ing young man, so good-looking and so pleasant. I quite fell 
in love with him when I was ten years old. He had the finest 
eyes one could dream about, and which often haunt me now after 
more than twenty years. Can any novel or drama be more 
tragic than the life and death of this unfortunate mad King.'' I 
have never seen Munich, and want to go there from here; also 
perhaps to Augsburg, where there is an interesting exhibition. 

I hope the Eastwell flowers are pretty good, but I wish I 
could send you some roses from here ; they are too magnificent. 
My aunt has created the place, and looks after it with "devoted 
attention." 

I wish you would come to Coburg in September ; it would be a 
great pleasure for me. 

Accept my best love and many wishes to hear often from you. 

Mabie. 

Peterhof, August 2, 1886. 
Deak Lady Randolph : 

I was so pleased to receive your interesting letter only a few 
days after my arrival here, and I thank you for it a thousand 
times. 

What an interesting time you are having now, and how ex- 
cited you must all be! Now I hear the Cabinet is formed and 

241 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Lord Randolph is Minister so soon again. Please offer him my 
most sincere good wishes for his success in public life, and 
though I shed a tear or two over the fall of "my idol,"' I sin- 
cerely hope that the new Ministry will be more successful. I do 
not believe it, however, and slightly chuckle over the difficulties 
they will have to face. 

Here we do not think much of politics at present, and enjoy 
life more simply by having lovely weather, pleasant company, 
and being out-of-doors from morning till night. Nowhere does 
one enjoy the summer more than in Russia, and I must say that 
it is really heavenly weather when the summer is fine, for we 
have the very long days and hardly any night. 

Here we live in separate small villas in the park, and the big, 
fine, old rococo palace is only used for receptions or distin- 
guished guests. I live with the children in one house, and the 
Majesties live in a cottage some five-minutes' walk from us. It 
is all very delightful in fine weather, but not so convenient dur- 
ing rainy days, as one keeps running from one house to the 
other. Nearly all of my relatives live in the neighborhood — 
dozens of cousins of every description, masculine and feminine, 
uncles, aunts, nephews, and nieces. You never saw such a family 
party. The Queen of Greece is here with nearly all her children, 
grown-up young men and babies, she herself looking younger 
than me, and dancing away merrily whilst I look on. I cannot 
make up my mind to dance in the same place which witnessed 
my debut some sixteen years ago, a slim young lady then, a fat 
matron now. So I walk about, renew old acquaintances, have 
people presented, and try to make myself agreeable. All wel- 
come me with joy and such cordiality that the task is an easy 
one. One dresses here immensely and is wonderfully smart and 
well got up ; it is a real pleasure for me to see all the lovely 
toilettes, bonnets and cloaks — quite a study. 

My uncles and cousins have beautiful country places all about 
Peterhof , and the other day one of them gave a very animated 

242 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

small dance. To-day there is a big ball at the palace, with 
ambassadors, etc., and we expect one or two more dances. On 
Monday was the Empress's namesday ; also mine, and it is 
always a grand day for festivities and presents. We had in the 
evening a lovely ballet in the open air and grand illuminations 
in the park. There are beautiful fountains here, a copy of 
Versailles, which light up in a wonderful way. Every evening 
bands play in the park and quantities of people walk, ride, and 
drive about. It is a very animated sight, and we go about in big 
char-a-bancs with postilions a la fran^aise. My lovely belle-sceur, 
now the Grand Duchess Serge, lives in the same house, while 
three of my brothers are at the camp, serving with various regi- 
ments. We have also to go there from time to time to witness 
various military performances. It is a grand sight, as there are 
always about 30,000 troops assembled there. We are soon to 
spend a week there for the grand manoeuvers. After my very 
quiet London life, I feel perfectly confused at this very ani- 
mated existence ; but it does me a great deal of good. 

My children are very happy ; ride about, bathe in the sea, and 
run wild nearly the whole day long. 

We have an Austrian Archduke staying here with a very nice 
Archduchess, whom we try to amuse. 

I must now finish this very disjointed letter, written during 
several days. 

What will you do this autumn, dear Lady Randolph? Lon- 
don must be detestable now. I quite pity you, and wish you 
were here. 

Au revoir, mals quand? 

Marie. 

Malta, January 13, 1888. 
Dear Lady Randolph : 

It is quite unpardonable of me not to have written to you be- 
fore, but somehow, cruising about as we did the whole autumn 

243 



REMINISCENCES OF 

and living on board ship, being very hot and lazy, all this did 
not predispose one to active correspondence. And now it is the 
slight boredom of the Malta life, its uninteresting course, and 
mille autres excuses. I am sincerely glad that you have both 
gone to Russia and have such pleasant impressions: your nice 
letters, from England first and next from Petersburg, gave me 
much pleasure. Many sincere thanks, and I feel quite touched 
that you found a moment's time to write from my native coun- 
try amidst all the excitement. 

I did very strongly recommend, you to all my relations, but 
two of them you had already previously greatly impressed, the 
Grand Duchess Vladimir at Paris, and my brother Serge last 
summer in London. . . . 

My countrymen and women are very lively and demonstra- 
tive; they have kind, warm hearts and are really fond of one. 
I feel that more and more when I go back to Russia. 

Give many niessages to Lord Randolph, and I also hope he 
will write me a few words. I am always thinking of his "es- 
capade", last winter at Messina, and cannot help laughing at it 
very sincerely. How I should enjoy another good talk with 
him, because, you know, I have a faible for him. . . . 

The Duke is hurrying me, as the post starts at once ; it is 
most irregular here. I am so sorry I cannot write a more inter- 
esting letter; I have not half told my tale yet. Au revoir, dear 
Lady Randolph. Many more thanks, and do not forget a true 
friend. 

Marie. 



The "escapade" to which the Duchess of Coburg refers, 
was an incident which happened in one of Lord Ran- 
dolph's journeys abroad, which is described in the fol- 
lowing letters : 

244 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Messina, March 9, 1887. 

Here we are, caught Hke rats in a trap. Just as we were 
packing up yesterday to leave for Naples it was announced that 
on account of cholera at Catania quarantine had been imposed 
in Sicily, and that we could not leave. This is a great blow, for 
we do not know how long we may be detained here. There is 
nothing to see or do, and the hotel is dirty and uncomfortable. 
We are in despair . . . 

Naples, March 12, 1887. 

I send you the enclosed under what the Foreign Office calls 
"Flying Seal," which means you are to read it and send it on ; 
it will tell you of our proceedings. At last we have got here, 
but without either servants or luggage; goodness knows when 
they will come. Harry T. and I made up our minds we would 
not stand being detained prisoners indefinitely at Messina. We 
made a fruitless application to the Ambassador at Rome to be 
exempted from quarantine; all regular steamboats had been 
taken off, and even if we had got a passage we should have had 
to do five days' quarantine at Gaeta ... a horrible prospect. 
So we went to the Consul ... a character he is! He intro- 
duced us to a man who knew a man who knew some Sicilian 
fishermen who for a consideration would put us across the 
Straits. Nous n'avons fait ni ime ni deux, but pursued the 
project. We embarked in an open boat at eight o'clock on 
Wednesday evening in Messina Harbour, with nothing but a 
tiny bag and a rug, with a dissolute sort of half-bred English- 
man and Sicihan, to act as interpreter and guide, and six wild, 
singing, chattering Sicilian fishermen. We reached the Cala- 
brian coast about 9.30 ; but the difficulty was to find a landing 
place where there were no gendarmes or coastguards or inhab- 
itants awake. The last danger was the greatest, for the peas- 
antry are awfully superstitious about cholera, and are a wild, 

245 



REMINISCENCES OF 

savage people; and we might have had rough treatment if any 
number of them happened to see us. 

At last we found a little fishing village where all was quiet. 
In we ran, out we jumped, and off went the boat like lightning. 
After clambering up some precipitous rocks, fortunately with- 
out waking any one or breaking our necks, we found temporary 
shelter in a miserable inn, where we represented ourselves as 
having come by boat from Reggio, and being unable to get 
back on account of the strong Sirocco wind which was blowing. 
We had to wait about an hour here all alone, with two wild men 
and a wild woman, while our guide was quietly endeavouring to 
find a conveyance. At last he got a common cart, and about 
eleven o'clock we started for the house of an Englishman at San 
Giovanni who has a silk mill, and to whom we had a letter from 
the Consul. The inn-keeper and his companions asked a lot of 
tiresome questions and seemed very suspicious, but n the end 
let us go quietly. Just after starting we met two gendarmes, 
and afterwards two coastguards, but fortunately they asked no 
questions; so everything went well for some four or five miles, 
except for the awful jolting of the cart, which exceeded any- 
thing in the way of shaking you ever dreamt of. All of a sudden 
the peasant who was driving the mule ran the cart against a 
great stone, and sent us all flying into the road. I never saw 
such a sprawling spill. Fortunately we were only shaken and 
dirty, but the driver was much hurt, which served him right, 
and he groaned and moaned terribly for the remainder of the 
journey; being a big, fat man, he had fallen heavily, and I 
should not be surprised if he had since died. 

At last at one in the morning we reached the house we were 
looking for, and had a great business to awaken the people ; nor 
did we know how we should be received, arriving in so strange a 
manner. The Englishman, however, was very good, took us in, 
gave us supper, and we lay quiet till the evening of the follow- 
ing day, when we slipped into the direct train for this place, 

246 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

which we reached without further trouble. But what a thing it 
is to have an evil conscience ! I kept thinking that every station- 
master and gendarme on the road scrutinised us unnecessarily; 
and what a trouble and scandal it would have made if we had 
been arrested and put in prison ! However all is well that ends 
well! 

Before closing this chapter I must mention one more 
Russian friend I was fortunate enough to have in the 
late M. de Staal, for many years Russian Ambassador 
in London. His delightful personality, charm of con- 
versation and kind heart, made him extremely popular; 
and his memory will live long in the thoughts of his 
many friends. I used to meet him at Eastwell, a fine 
place in Kent which the Duke of Edinburgh had for 
some years and where M. de Staal was the life and soul 
of the party. He sent me his photograph some time be- 
fore his death with the following charming and charac- 
teristic note : - 

Chesham House 

Chesham Place, S. W., le 31 Oct. 1902. 

Chere Madame et amie : 

Voici la tres vieille face d'un tres vieux homme qu'est a demi- 
mort mais vous aime bien. 
Ne I'accueillez pas trop mal. 

Sincerement a vous, 

Staal. 



12 



247 



CHAPTER XI 

BERLIN SOCIETY AND COURT FUNCTIONS — FRENCH 
SOCIETY AND PERSONAGES 

ON our way back from Russia, in 1888, we stayed 
I for ten days at the British Embassy in Berlin. 
Sir Edward Malet, who was the Ambassador, 
was very much in favor with the Imperial Family. A 
man of small stature, he has nevertheless a commanding 
presence, with a pleasant and open countenance and 
the most courteous of manners. He is very well in- 
formed, and talks agreeably on all subjects. Lady 
Ermyntrude, his wife, who was equally liked, is a 
daughter of the late Duke of Bedford, and an extremely 
cultivated woman. They both showed us the greatest 
hospitality, even giving a dinner in our honor. 

After ultra-fashionable and brilliant St. Petersburg, 
Berlin society seemed a little quiet. But there were 
some exceptions, notably Princess Karl Egon Fiirsten- 
berg (now Comtesse Jean de Castellane), Princess 
Antoine Radziwill, and Countess von Hohenau. This 
lady was renowned for her beautiful figure, which I have 
seen equaled only by that of Lady Claud Hamilton. 
Princess Fiirstenberg (who was a stepdaughter of the 
late Due de Valan^ay and half-sister of the Prince de 
Sagan, already mentioned in these reminiscences) held 

248 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

a unique position. To her own vivid personality she 
added her husband's great name and immense wealth. 
Well educated, and with a restless and ambitious mind, 
she has always taken a keen interest in politics. Had 
her life been spent in England instead of abroad, she 
would certainly have played a greater part. In Ger- 
many there is little scope in that line for a woman, and 
in France still less. Her dinners and her parties were 
the most successful entertainments given in Berlin. 
Prince Fiirstenberg, who has since died, was a very 
independent man, and some years later he incurred the 
present Kaiser's wrath in a quarrel which made consid- 
erable stir at the time. William II issued an order to 
the effect that army officers should take precedence of 
the nobility. The Prince retired from the Court in high 
dudgeon, after writing a letter to the Kaiser in which, 
it is said, he expressed his views with more vigor than 
diplomacy ; not hesitating to compare the Hohenzollerns 
to their detriment with his own high and mighty, not to 
say much older, family. 

We spent our days pleasantly in visiting the palaces, 
galleries, and museums. At one of the galleries we were 
much interested to see three pictures which used to be 
at Blenheim, one of them being the famous "Bacchana- 
lia" by Rubens, which had filled one side of the dining- 
room. Sans Souci I found enchanting, and could hardly 
tear myself away from its lovely rooms, with their Louis 
XV decorations and delicious Watteaus. How strange 
that those two grim men, Frederick the Great and Vol- 
taire, should have lived in such incongruous surround- 
ings ! Visions of beautiful women in powder and patches 
could alone be associated with these boudoirs, where the 

249 



REMINISCENCES OF 

panels, adorned with silver tracings, and the soft-colored 
silk curtains would have made a fitting background for 
their loveliness. The bedroom so long occupied by 
Voltaire, with its priceless Dresden china, and hangings 
of green damask, looked like a nest for a pink-and-white 
maid of honor. One note, however, gave an indication 
of the king's mind in respect to the guest whom he hated 
and feared as much as he admired him. A large, grin- 
ning china monkey did service for a chandelier, holding 
in its hands the candles which lighted up the sardonic 
features of its human counterpart. At the end of a cul- 
de-sac was a small, round room of which the only outlet 
was a window giving on to the garden. With books to 
the ceiling, and a huge writing-table in the center, this 
was Frederick the Great's sanctum. Perhaps it was on 
this very table that he wrote the verses he was so anxious 
Voltaire should admire, and which in the hands of the 
"Patriarch of Ferney" became the weapon with which 
he ridiculed the King at the time of their famous quarrel. 
Among the many festivities to which we were bidden, 
was a gala performance at the opera. A gala night 
under the auspices of the German Court is a very dif- 
ferent thing from the same function in London. In 
Berlin the boxes and seats are not sold, and only those 
who receive a royal invitation may attend, whereas in 
London it is a case of the longest purse and the highest 
bidder. In consequence, the audience is anything but 
representative of London society. I remember being 
very much struck by the wonderful ensemble and per- 
fection of the orchestra, far surpassing any in London 
of those days. Sembrich sang in "Les Noces de Figaro," 
and the whole royal family were present, including the 

250 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

aged Emperor William I. The prospect of a state 
concert, preceded by an informal Drawing-room, at 
which we were to be presented, rather alarmed me, not 
knowing the rules and etiquette of a court so different 
from any I had yet seen. Also, not expecting to attend 
any such function, I had no court train with me, and this 
added to my embarrassment, for there is no doubt that 
to be well dressed gives confidence. In the end, how- 
ever, it all proved quite simple. 

Etiquette required that before appearing at court I 
should visit the Mistress of the Robes. I therefore called 
with Lady Ermyntrude Malet on Countess Perponcher, 
a rather formidable lady with an 1830 coiffure and a 
stiff, rustling silk gown. She received me with force 
reverences, which I duly returned. On the night of the 
concert, we were ushered into a small room where the 
Emperor William stood surrounded by the royal family, 
the officials of the court, and the diplomatic corps, and 
with others we were presented. The Emperor, looking 
most upright in his smart uniform, welcomed me in a 
few well-chosen words, also referring to our tea-party 
at Gastien and the jokes we had had with the children. 
Little did I or any one else present think that this was 
to be his last entertainment, and that in a few weeks the 
kind and noble old monarch would be no more. Sud- 
denly a side door opened, and the Empress Augusta, 
sitting in a small bath-chair, was wheeled in. Dressed 
in pale-blue satin, with jewels to her waist, her venerable 
head crowned with a magnificent tiara, she made a brave, 
if somewhat pathetic figure. She asked me many ques- 
tions in excellent English, addressing me as "Lady 
Churchill" and inquiring after the Czarina, "whom 

251 



REMINISCENCES OF 

she understood I had just seen." She also asked so 
much after her "dear Queen Victoria" that I came to 
the conclusion she was mistaking me for Queen Vic- 
toria's lady-in-waiting, Jane, Lady Churchill. Her re- 
marks were almost inaudible, and I had to answer in a 
very loud voice, as she did not hear well. I do not 
recollect ever having felt more embarrassed or uncom- 
fortable than during this conversation at cross purposes, 
carried on before the whole court, which was listening in 
respectful silence. 

Presently we all moved into an adjoining room, at 
the end of which was a small platform. Round tables 
were dotted about, the places being arranged before- 
hand. Randolph sat at the table of Princess William 
(the present Kaiserin), while I sat at Prince William's. 
After listening to an excellent concert, at which Sem- 
brich sang, supper was served, the whole function being 
over by eleven o'clock. Much to my delight, in the 
course of the evening I made the acquaintance of the 
great Moltke, who, notwithstanding his stern and ascetic 
countenance, surprised me agreeably by his sunny smile 
and pleasant voice. 

There is no doubt it would be difficult to find a greater 
contrast than the Russian and German courts presented 
at that time; the one, brilliant, imposing, lavish in its 
extravagance, barbaric in its splendor ; the other, unpre- 
tentious and, perhaps, a little dull, but full of traditions 
and etiquette. In Berlin, and particularly at the court, 
signs of the all-conquering and victorious army were 
everywhere apparent; everything military was in the 
ascendant. I remember Prince William visiting me at 
the Embassy, and our having a great discussion on 

252 




COINT \'ON MOLTKE 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

German and Russian uniforms, the gorgeousness of 
which had impressed me while in St. Petersburg. 

If the Court of the Emperor WilHam I was somewhat 
depressing, the magnificence of the existing regime is a 
great contrast. Wilham II rightly wishes to main- 
tain a proper standard, and while condemning extrava- 
gance, likes to see a dignified display. It has been 
reported that he once said, apropos of his court balls, 
that "men came for discipline, and women for deport- 
ment." Permission to dance is given only by royal 
order, and the privileged have for many days to re- 
hearse the intricate steps of the stately minuets pre- 
scribed. Woe be it if they make any mistakes, for a 
dancing-master sits aloft in a gallery recording the 
faux pas of his pupils. This may sound arbitrary, 
but there is no doubt that if something similar could be 
introduced at the Court of St. James the proceedings 
would gain in dignity, as it is with difficulty that the 
majority of people can go through an ordinary quad- 
rille. 

Before leaving, we dined one night with Count Her- 
bert Bismarck. At the end of the dinner he produced, 
as a bonne houche, a sort of paste, made principally, as 
far as I could gather, of lard and garlic, of which he 
spoke with pride as having been made by his mother. 
Count Herbert was a kindly man, and although to Eng- 
lish ideas he may perhaps have seemed a little rough and 
uncouth, he was really very popular in England, and 
left many friends to deplore his premature death. He 
was greatly interested in English politics, and I remem- 
ber that at this dinner he had an argument on the sub- 
ject of Mr. Gladstone, whom he cordially hated, re- 

255 



REMINISCENCES OF 

marking, much to our amusement, that his father always 
said "Gladstone would drag England to the lowest 
ground of hell." 

Randolph and I were disappointed in not seeing 
Prince Bismarck, who was then in the country; but 
some years later, when at Kissengen, we were fortunate 
enough to make the "Iron Chancellor's" acquaintance. 
We dined with him at the old schloss where he was living, 
its picturesque red roof making a landmark in the flat 
Bavarian scenery. We were only a party of six: the 
Prince and Princess, Count Herbert Bismarck and his 
wife (who was of English origin), and ourselves. We 
dined in a large room which had a vaulted ceiling, and 
seemed to be used as a general living-room. At dinner 
I sat on one side of the Prince, and Randolph on the 
other, the huge boar hound, our host's constant com- 
panion, lying on the ground between us. Conversation 
was animated. Bismarck spoke excellent English, but 
very slowly ; and if he could not find the word he wanted, 
he would pause and think until he did. His family 
looked up to him with awe and admiration, and listened 
with the greatest attention to every word he uttered. 
The old Princess, who seemed very feeble, did not take 
much part in the conversation. After dinner we ad- 
journed to another part of the room, where we sat round 
a long table covered with books and newspapers. There 
were a great many illustrated papers, full of caricatures 
of Bismarck, which, in answer to a question, he assured 
me he did not mind in the least. Later, however. Count 
Herbert contradicted this, saying that his father was 
really very sensitive and disliked being caricatured. 

Speaking of the country and the long walks he took 

256 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

daily, Bismarck said he loved nature, but the amount of 
life he saw awed him, and that it took a great deal of 
faith to believe that an "all-seeing Eye" could notice 
every living atom when one realized what that meant. 
"Have you ever sat on the grass and examined it 
closely? There is enough life in one square yard to 
appal you," he said. When we were about to leave, his 
great dog fixed his fierce eyes on mine in so persistent a 
manner that I became alarmed and thought he was go- 
ing to spring upon me; but the Prince reassured me, 
saying, "He is looking at your eyes, because he has not 
seen any like them." This was said in a grave voice and 
without a smile, leaving it doubtful if he intended to 
pay me a compliment. 

Quitting Berlin with much regret and with gratitude 
to our kind hosts the Malets, we proceeded to Paris, 
where we remained for some time. Our friend the Mar- 
quis de Breteuil helped to make our visit delightful, for 
at his charming house, where we often dined, we met 
every one of note and interest. It was at one of these 
dinners that I saw General Boulanger for the first time. 
M. de Breteuil was a believer at that moment in Bou- 
langism, and, in common with many Royalists, thought 
he saw in the General, faute de mieuoo, the preserver 
of the French monarchy, through a Restoration which 
was to follow a Republic under which all Frenchmen 
could rally. The Duchesse d'Uzes, the Comtesse Greff- 
hule, the General, Randolph and I, made up the party. 
The duchess, who kept a pack of hounds in the vicinity 
of Paris, and hunted the stag with all the pomp and 
picturesqueness foreigners display in matters connected 
with the chase, had, it appears, been hunting that day, 

257 



REMINISCENCES OF 

and in consequence arrived late, breathless, and some- 
what untidy, but covered with magnificent jewels. 
Granddaughter of the Veuve Clicquot of champagne 
fame, Mme. d'Uzes had inherited a large fortune, 
and with this "fruit of the vine" was able to regild the 
shield of the Due d'Uzes, who bore one of the oldest 
names of France. The Duchess, who was then a widow, 
had espoused the cause of the "hrav' Gener'aV with all 
the ardor of an energetic enthusiast, and she emphasized 
her support by giving him three million francs. Mme. 
Greffhule, who was a Belgian by birth and came of the 
historic house of Chimay, had a European reputation 
for grace, charm, and esthetic tastes. Although she was 
very young, her salon had already acquired the name 
for artistic and literary prominence which it bears to- 
day, and people were eager to be counted among its 
habitues. 

Boulanger, notwithstanding a military bearing, a 
fierce mustache, and, to French ideas, a handsome face, 
gave one the impression of a man not quite sure of him- 
self. At that moment his popularity was great, and 
the eyes of France — not to say of Europe — were turned 
upon him ; yet he seemed unable to rise above his middle- 
class origin and early surroundings. He talked little, 
and preferred answering questions to putting them. 
Later, when he came to London he dined with us several 
times, but even on better acquaintance his diffidence did 
not vanish. He was banal in conversation, and I cannot 
recall anything of interest he said to me. As the Gen- 
eral had no political mission in England, the Prince of 
Wales honored us with his company on one of these 
occasions. Among those who came, besides General 

258 




ij/^/mWA 



// 



V/S:/f/^yry/^^//^:P 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Boulanger and General Dillon who accompanied him, 
were the Duchess of Manchester (now the Dowager 
Duchess of Devonshire), Lady Norreys, Lord Hard- 
wicke. Lord Hartington, Sir George Lewis, and Mr. 
and Mrs. Leopold de Rothschild, who got into great 
trouble with their French relatives for having been 
there. So confident of success were Boulanger and 
those about him at that time, that General Dillon, who 
sat next to Mrs. de Rothschild, invited her in the Gen- 
eral's name to stay at the Tuileries — "where we shall 
be in a few months," quoth he. 

There was in England a very strong opinion against 
Boulanger, and we were much taken to task for receiv- 
ing and entertaining him; but Randolph was rather 
fond of exotic specimens of mankind, and liked to study 
them without regard to public opinion. Although un- 
doubtedly a brave man morally, Boulanger was not suf- 
ficiently courageous to risk everything for a cause in 
which he undoubtedly was, as he perhaps suspected, a 
cat's-paw. The extraordinary rise and popularity of 
the man seems incredible, unless one takes into consid- 
eration not only the French character, which made such 
delirious enthusiasm possible, but also the state of 
France at that time. 

Perhaps it will not come amiss here to recapitulate 
some of the salient points of this strange and eventful 
career. The malcontents of every shade of politics — 
Royalist and Bonapartist — each thought that Boulan- 
ger, having gained the confidence of the masses, would, 
once Dictator or President, pave the way to a Royalist 
or Bonapartist monarchy. Boulanger himself had vast 
ambitions, of which, it appears, he showed signs when a 

261 



REMINISCENCES OF 

boy at college. Although a good officer, he had not 
attained his rank of general by prominence in the field, 
but, according to his enemies, by lobbying for many 
years in public offices and anterooms. Politically he 
coquetted with all parties, and it was probably for this 
reason that he was made Minister of War in the Frey- 
cinet Government of 1885, as he was on fairly good 
terms with both Radicals and Moderates. 

It was while he was in the Government that he began 
to show his true colors, and some of his Royalist sup- 
porters fell away when they found him becoming more 
radical and voting with the advanced party for the exile 
of the Bourbon Princes. I was in Paris at the time of 
the publication of the Due d'Aumale's letter from Bou- 
langer, and well remember the great sensation it made. 
It revealed the fulsomeness of the court he paid to the 
Duke, to whom he owed his rank of general, and his 
ingratitude in joining those concerned in voting for a 
cruel and unnecessary law against harmless princes, not 
to say French citizens. Notwithstanding this revela- 
tion of his character, his prestige, shortly after the Fete 
Nationale on the 14th of July, seemed untarnished, and 
M. de Breteuil, in writing to me, said at that time, 
"Son etoile est plus brillante que jamais/^ Like a 
comet, Boulanger traversed the skies, "an empty-headed 
thing with a fiery tail," which, to continue the simile, 
fell to earth in the flash of a pistol report on the tomb 
of his one true friend. Marguerite Bonnemain. 

Like Parnell, Boulanger, ambitious as some may have 
thought him, put the love of woman above that of power. 
All his thoughts were centered in and controlled by her 
who was the mainspring of his life. After the plebiscite 

262 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

of February, 1889, he had a majority of 70,000 votes 
in Paris alone, and his popularity rose to fever heat ; but 
instead of going straight to the Elysee, where he might 
have challenged his fate and, who knows? been acclaimed 
President, he rushed off to Mme. Bonnemain's house, 
and could not be found. This was the turning-point in 
his career. He disgusted his followers and those who 
believed in him ; and the opportunity never returned. 

Randolph, writing to me from Paris, February 5, 
1889, said: 

. . . Boulanger does not seem to me to have made as much 
out of his victory as he ought. If he does not do something 
soon, the effect of it will be forgotten. 



And again in September : 

It is evidently all up with Boulanger. I suppose we shall 
have him now en permanence in London. People won't run after 
him quite so much. 

Life in Paris was most attractive. I sought out all 
my old friends, and made many new ones. Society was 
then, as it is now, very cosmopolitan, but it was rein- 
forced by a certain section of the "Noble Faubourg" 
who were not averse to being entertained by the foreign 
element. They did not feel it compromising to meet 
their own compatriots, were they Bonapartists or Re- 
publicans, on such neutral grounds. A number of 
Mexicans, Peruvians, Chilians, etc.— "rastaquoueres" 
as they were dubbed,— were much to the fore; and as 
they seemed to have millions, and entertained lavishly, 

263 



REMINISCENCES OF 

the gay j'^oung Parisians flocked to their houses en masse. 
Exclusiveness is so much a thing of the past that one is 
astonished nowadays to meet it, individual merit being 
far more an open sesame to society than formerly. 
Those who travel and mix perforce with their fellow- 
creatures forget that people still exist in this world who 
cannot understand or tolerate anything or anybody be- 
yond their immediate entourage. Is it to be wondered 
at that these people become narrow-minded, prejudiced, 
and self -centered? Personally I feel my acquaintance 
can never be too large. When I reflect that there are 
thousands of delightful and interesting people one may 
be missing, no opportunity ought to be lost of cultivat- 
ing as many as possible. Friends are in another cate- 
gory. Time alone can prove friendships. The friends 
who stand by you through all vicissitudes are more pre- 
cious and rare than ''les amis des beaux jours/' To lose 
one of them is indeed a calamity. To find a cold heart 
where you were certain of a warm one, to find mistrust 
and indifference where you hoped for trust and faith, 
is the greatest of disillusions and the saddest. '^La 
lampe de Vamitie a hesoin d'huile" but if the lamp is 
faulty, no amount of oil will keep it alight. 

Speaking of exclusiveness, I am reminded of an 
amusing illustration of it which I came across in Paris. 
Having made the acquaintance of the Duchesse de la 
Tremoille, we dined with her one night. The Duke, who 
belongs to one of the oldest families in France, and owns 
Serrant, a sixteenth-century chateau on the Loire, also 
possesses a charming house in the Avenue Gabriel. Be- 
fore leaving for England, I went to call on the Duchess 
and asked if she was at home. Hearing that she was, 

264 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

I walked through the courtyard to the front door, 
M^here, to my surprise, notwithstanding a bell announc- 
ing my arrival, no one came forward to meet me. I 
waited; still no one. There were two doors. I chose 
one, and found myself at the foot of a large staircase 
embellished with palms and statues. Making my way 
up, I saw a suite of three or four rooms. In vain I 
waited for a footman or some one to announce me. At 
last dimly perceiving a figure at the far end, I went 
toward it, and found the Duchess, who expressed her 
surprise that I had taken so long to appear. Presently 
the timbre sounded again; this time it was the Grand 
Duke Vladimir of Russia who arrived unannounced. It 
was amusing to see the man before whom Russia trem- 
bles dropping on one knee with mock solemnity, kissing 
the Duchess's hand, and thanking her in exaggerated 
language for some "divine turkeys" she had sent him. 
More visitors appearing, I departed, finding my way 
out as I had come. Having heard that the Duchess was 
supposed to be very exclusive, I confess I thought this 
a free-and-easy way of receiving, and said as much to a 
Frenchman. "You don't understand," he said. "Dur- 
ing certain months of the year the Duchess receives her 
own particular coterie of intimate friends every day 
from four to six. They know they are sure to find her 
and be welcome. As habitues there is no need for them 
to be announced, and the appearance of servants would 
detract from the delightful sans gene and intimacy of 
the visit." "But what about the casual caller, or possi- 
bly an unwelcome visitor?" "Oh," replied my friend, 
"none of these would dream of asking if Madame la 
Duchesse was at home unless they were on her particular 

265 



REMINISCENCES OF 

list." This explanation somewhat disturbed me, and I 
felt myself, for the nonce, a trespasser. 

M. de Breteuil would sometimes, for our delectation, 
invite strange people to meet us. Among them was a 
certain M. de Meyrenna, a young and good-looking 
man, who interested and amused us for a whole evening 
by relating the adventures of his extraordinary and 
thrilling life. He had a few months previously been 
proclaimed King of the Sedangs (a tribe somewhere in 
Indo-China) and called himself "Marie I." Although 
in a wild and distant country, his subjects did exist, 
which is more than can be said for the "Emperor of 
Sahara," a would-be monarch of the same type. Marie 
I invited me to pay him a visit. I was to be met by a 
caravan with elephants and camels and escorted to his 
capital, where he promised I should be treated royally. 
I believe he died a year or two later, an adventurer to 
the last. 

Another eccentric person was King Milan, father of 
Alexander late King of Servia, who, with his wife 
Draga, was treacherously murdered by his subjects. 
When I first met Milan in Paris he had just abdicated 
in favor of his son after a fierce quarrel with his wife, 
Natalie, a Princess of Stourdza. He certainly was one 
of the most uncivilized beings I have ever encountered. 
A short, thick-set man with inky black hair and mus- 
tache, of little or no education save what his natural 
intelligence helped him to pick up, he was notwithstand- 
ing an agreeable personality. Later he came to London, 
where he was not persona grata either at the Eng- 
lish Court or in general society, into which, however, he 
never attempted to penetrate. I remember once at a 

266 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

small dinner party he was induced to describe his early 
life before he became, in 1868, Prince of Servia on the 
assassination of his cousin Michael. Up to that time, 
barefoot and clad in rags, he had lived the life of a goat- 
herd in the mountains, where he often went without 
food, sleeping in caverns. In relating these past expe- 
riences, his encounters with wild beasts, and narrow es- 
capes from those who for their own ends wanted his life, 
he became so excited that, suddenly forgetting he was 
not in his native wilds, he began to eat with his fingers, 
tearing the meat on his plate. His life on the whole 
was a sad one, and he really deserved something better, 
although totally unfitted by his early bringing up to 
govern any country, far less a semibarbaric one like 
Servia. I dined with him again, this time at the Amphi- 
tryon, a restaurant which was half a club, and was much 
in vogue in London at the moment. We were a party 
of eight or ten. In a private room, the walls of which 
were entirely covered with orchids, we had a most fan- 
tastic repast. Although nightingales' tongues and pea- 
cocks' brains did not figure on the menu, I have no 
doubt the bill was equally extravagant, for Milan had 
absolutely no sense of the value of money. A few 
months later he went back to Servia, whether in the 
hope of helping his son or to intrigue against him I do 
not know. Disgusted at Alexander's marriage, which 
took place shortly after his arrival, with Mme. Draga 
Maschin, who had been lady-in-waiting to Queen 
Natalie, Milan left Servia in haste, never to return. 
Writing to me from some Austrian Baths, he poured 
forth his troubles in his impulsive manner: 



13 



269 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Chere Madame : 

Depuis longtemps j'ai voulu vous ecrire. Cette lettre vous 
parviendra-t-clle ? Je ne le saurai que si vous voulez bien me 
repondre deux mots pour me dire que vous I'avez re9ue. Je n'ai 
rien de bon a vous dire sur mon compte. Apres m'etre devoue 
corps et ame a mon fils, il m'a joue le tour d'epouser une per- 
sonne plus qu' impossible et ayant quatorze ans de plus que lui 
au grand scandale du pays et de I'Europe entiere. 

Je n'ai pas voulu accepter cette situation, et me revoila de par 
les grands chemins sans savoir ce que je ferai. Pardon si je 
vous parle de fees choses, mais dans mes vieux jours, et avec mes 
cheveux plus que poivre et sel, c'est dur. J'ai mieux merite que 
cela. 

Milan. 

One of the most interesting incidents in Paris in 1889 
was the great Seeretan sale, which took place in July. 
Among the art collectors and connoisseurs who flocked 
to it was H. R. H. the Due d'Aumale. His vast know- 
ledge and exquisite taste made all who knew him de- 
sirous of obtaining his opinions. The catalogue, which 
consisted of two large volumes, was admirably got up, 
and so largely sought for that, much to my chagrin, I 
was unable to procure a copy. The Due d'Aumale, 
hearing of this, presented me with one of his, writing in 
it a charming inscription. These books, beautifully 
bound, are among the treasures of my library. 

The duke, with his military prestige and martial 
bearing, was besides a man of great culture, and fitly 
described as "un gentilhomme au bout des ongles." He 
was, moreover, an ardent sportsman, and the magnifi- 
cent Chateau of Chantilly which he presented in 1886 to 
the Institut de France is filled with his hunting trophies. 

270 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

During his exile in England, I remember dining with 
him at his house in Rutland Gate, and being im- 
pressed by his charming and gentle manner. He talked 
much about France, and his love for his country seemed 
in no way impaired by the cruel measure which had been 
passed against him by his own countrymen. 

One of the houses I frequented in Paris was that of 
Mrs. Ferdinand Bischoffsheim, a clever and beautiful 
American who died a few years ago. She had a salon 
in Paris which was quite literary. It was there that I 
first met M. Bourget, then unmarried, and began a 
friendship which has lasted unimpaired to this day. He 
had just written "Mensonges," which added greatly to 
his reputation as a novelist, although it was freely criti- 
cized. An animated and amusing correspondence was 
being carried on in the press, mainly by the fair sex, who 
were irate at his description of a mondame, his heroine. 
I recollect his being chaffed by a compatriot, who asked 
him why he did not depict a real woman of the world in 
his books? Bourget, who thought he had accurately 
done so, was naturally annoyed but, unlike most 
Frenchmen, he could stand chaff. Perhaps his long stay 
in England had inured him to it. Now, one of the Fortj^ 
Immortals, wearing "les palmes academiques," and 
happily married to a most attractive and talented 
woman, his books are more serious; but to me the de- 
lightful "Sensations d'Oxford," which he wrote years 
ago, and which for literary style and charm of descrip- 
tion he has in my estimation never surpassed, is quite 
staid enough. We often discussed his literary projects, 
and I have many pleasant letters from him, from which 
I quote at random the following : 

271 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

. . . Ma vie a moi est attrlstee par la difficulte d'ecrire 
"Une Idjlle Tragique." C'est un beau sujet sur lequel je 
devrais vous ecrire vingt pages. Avec de la patience j'en vien- 
drai a bout — mais c'est terriblement dur. Arrive a un certain 
point de la vie, on en sait trop, on veut trop mettre, et on ne 
pent pas dire ce que I'on a a dire. . . . Savez vous que Tour- 
gueniew a resume le dernier mot de tout quand il a dit "La vie 
est une affaire brutale.'* 



272 



CHAPTER XII 

LORD Randolph's candidature for Birmingham- 
salons— bayreuth — MUSICAL CELEBRITIES 

AT this period (1889) Lord Randolph Churchill's 
/_\ interest in politics was as great as ever, al- 
^ .m. though he was out of office, and he then made 
some of his best speeches. His followers in Birming- 
ham had never ceased working on his behalf since he 
had stood for the constituency in 1885, and at the death 
of John Bright their greatest desire was that he should 
represent them in Parliament. Randolph himself was 
very keen about it, and would probably have won the 
seat in time had he not listened to the over-scrupulous 
advice of the Unionist Party. Great were the pour- 
parlers and controversies in their councils as to whether 
he ought or ought not to stand. The decision was finally 
left in the hands of Lord Hartington and Mr. Chamber- 
lain, who, very naturally from their point of view, per- 
suaded him to withdraw his candidature. 

It was a great blow to his friends and supporters in 
Birmingham, who felt that they had been offered up 
on the altar of Mr. Chamberlain's ambitions. Bearing 
in mind the political campaign of 1885, and the hard 
work in which I had taken part and which now seemed 

273 



REMINISCENCES OF 

a waste of time and energy, I felt very incensed. On 
the day when Randolph returned from the House of 
Commons and informed me of the pressure brought to 
bear on him, and how he had given in, I accused him of 
showing the white feather for the first time in his life. 
He had, he said, "made up his mind to abide by the 
opinion of the leaders of the 'Party.' " "But not when 
those leaders are your political enemies," I cried. Argu- 
ments, however, were useless. If he was right, he got 
no thanks for it, and a great opportunity was lost for 
him to show his strength and power. 

After Randolph left the Government, our relations 
with Lord and Lady Salisbury became gradually more 
and more strained. Outward appearances were kept 
up, such as our still being invited to the political parties 
given in Arlington Street, but all real cordiality ceased. 
Mutual friends, indeed, tried to bring about a rap- 
prochement, and eventually we were asked to dine. 
Much against his inclination Randolph was persuaded 
to accept. The dinner, which was a large one, was a 
fiasco so far as the object of our being there was con- 
cerned, for beyond a bare greeting neither Lord nor 
Lady Salisbury exchanged a word with Randolph. 
This he resented very much, and regretted having gone. 
I do not think this was intended as a slight, for shortly 
afterward I received the following letter from Lady 
Salisbury : 

April 24, Hatfield House, 

Hatfield. 
My dear Lady Randolph : 

Will you and Lord Randolph come here to dine and sleep on 
Sunday the 22d, and help us to receive the Irish delegates on 

274 




I-AUY DE GREY 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Monday? We shall be much pleased if you will come. No 
Sunday trains are good, but the best leave Kings Cross at 1 p.m. 
or 6.30 P.M. We will meet either. 

Yours very truly, 

G. Salisbury. 



There was to be a garden party on the Monday at 
which pohtical speeches were to be made, Mr. Cham- 
berlain and Randolph being advertised as the principal 
speakers. Great was to be the gathering of Unionists, 
and a solid front was much desired. At the last mo- 
ment, however, Randolph flatly refused to go. No 
arguments moved him; he insisted that I should keep 
the engagement alone. As I drove up to the historic 
Elizabethan house, an ideal residence for the Prime 
Minister of England, my feelings were anything but 
enviable. I shall never forget the look of blank dismay 
and the ominous silence with which my feeble excuses 
for Randolph's absence were greeted. That night at 
dinner in the splendid banqueting-hall, I sat next to 
Lord Salisbury. Courteous as ever, he talked pleasantly 
to me, but made no allusion to the subject uppermost in 
my mind. The next day was fine, and masses of people 
brought by special trains from London filled the beau- 
tiful gardens, crowding round the various speakers. 
Cries for Randolph were heard on every side, many had 
come expressly to hear him, and bitter was the disap- 
pointment when they realized that he was not there. No 
adequate reason could be given for his absence, and the 
"rift within the lute" was made more apparent than 
ever. I confess I was very glad when I could slip away, 

277 



REMINISCENCES OF 

for rarely had I felt so uncomfortable or experienced 
anything more disagreeable. 

London rejoiced that year in Jubilee functions and 
was very animated. A diversion was created by the 
arrival of the Shah of Persia, Nasr-ed-din, whose vaga- 
ries kept society amused and interested. A real barba- 
rian, it was with difficulty that he was induced to 
conform to Western habits. Many were the stories 
circulated about him. One night at a banquet at Buck- 
ingham Palace, he was asked to give his arm to the late 
Queen Victoria. He refused, having made up his mind 
to take in a lady whose voluminous proportions had 
attracted his attention. Much pressure had to be 
brought to bear before he was prevailed upon to change 
his mind. With reluctance and a cross face, he dragged 
the Queen along as he strode into the dining-room. 

Another night at the opera he sat with a glum coun- 
tenance, evidently much bored, to the despair of his 
suite, until the orchestra during the entr' acte began to 
tune their instruments. At these discordant sounds the 
Persian monarch brightened up, and asked for an en- 
core, applauding vigorously. At one of the Court balls 
at which the Shah was present we were commanded, 
much to Randolph's and my embarrassment, and the 
annoyance of the Lord Chamberlain (as it was against 
all royal etiquette) , to go to the dais and be presented to 
his Majesty. Sir Henry Wolff, who was then Ambas- 
sador at Teheran, had often spoken to him about 
Randolph; hence, I suppose, his desire to know him. 
Muttering something which sounded like "Lady 
Churchillias," he grasped my hand with terrific force, 
and then with a peremptory gesture, waved me away 

278 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

to make room for Randolph, who no more than I under- 
stood one word uttered by the fierce old man. As I 
went down the two or three steps of the dais feeling 
miserably self-conscious, the Prince of Wales with his 
usual kindness came forward and shook hands, saying, 
"This presentation is contrary to all precedent, but the 
Shah insisted," and added laughingly, "You had better 
go quickly as I see you are getting black looks from the 
Duchesses' bench." 

Strangers came to London in numbers that season, 
attracted by the unwonted sights and festivities. I met 
many at Lady de Grey's, she having always been one 
of the most cosmopolitan of hostesses. Her well-known 
artistic and musical appreciation made her house then, 
as now, the rendezvous of all the gifted artists and intel- 
lectual foreigners who come to London. She is indeed 
the Mecca they journey to, and many of the former owe 
their success to her timely aid and good counsels. 
Given, in addition to personal charm and beauty, a thor- 
ough knowledge of the world and of the difficult art of 
receiving, it is not surprising that invitations are highly 
prized to her small but delightful entertainments. 

Taking into consideration the abnormal size of Lon- 
don society as it is at present, to be a popular hostess 
is no easy matter. As for "salons"— they were nearly 
extinct twenty years ago. It is obvious that none is 
possible without selection, and this naturally leads to 
the exclusion of all who do not possess wit or talent. 
The passport to the famous Parisian salons of the 
eighteenth century, those of Mme. du DefFand, Mme. 
Geoffrin, Mile, de Lespinasse and others, consisted 
in brains; no other credential was necessary. If the 

279 



REMINISCENCES OF 

rooms of these celebrated women were crowded, it was 
with the genius and talent of Europe, and the new- 
comer was only admitted after searching inquiry; to 
be elected was in itself a guarantee of excellence, and 
was as eagerly sought for as Academic honors. Con- 
versation roamed over a vast range of subjects, from 
framing a new policy for the Government to the latest 
sonnet or spiciest new scandal, and on the decision of 
these arbiters of merit success depended. How remote 
seem these brilliant causeries from the caravanserais of 
the "Mrs. Leo Hunters" of to-day, where crowds jostle 
each other on the staircase, often not getting any 
further, and where bridge replaces conversation. Hap- 
pily there are exceptions, and now as then it is possible 
to find people who like something better. At a particu- 
larly pleasant luncheon-party, given by Lady de Grey, 
I remember once meeting, among others, M. Jules 
Claretie of the Francais, Mile. Bartet the gifted actress, 
Lord Ribblesdale and Mr. Oscar Wilde — than whom a 
more brilliant talker did not exist, that is when he was 
in the mood for it. An argument arose between him and 
Lord Ribblesdale on after-dinner speeches, Mr. Wilde 
declaring that there was no subject on which he could 
not speak at a moment's notice. Taking him at his 
word Lord Ribblesdale, holding up his glass, said "The 
Queen." "She is not a subject," answered Wilde, as 
quick as lightning. Once, having been accused of mis- 
quoting from "The Importance of Being Earnest," I 
appealed to Mr. Wilde, telling him I had made a bet 
on my accuracy, and that if I found I was right, he 
should receive from me a beautiful pen-holder. This 
was his answer : 

280 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

The Cottage, 

Goring-on-Thames. 

Dear Lady Randolph, 

"The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that 
every saint has a past and that every sinner has a future." 
That, of course, is the quotation. How dull men are ! They 
should listen to brilliant women, and look at beautiful ones — 
and when, as in the present case, a woman is both beautiful and 
brilliant they might have the ordinary common sense to admit 
that she is verbally inspired. 

I trust your bet will be promptly paid, as I want to begin 
writing my new comedy, and have no pen ! 

Believe me, 

Yours sincerely, 

Oscar Wilde. 

As I had won, the pen was duly sent him. 

It was about this time that I made the acquaintance 
of two financiers who had come prominently to the 
front. One was Colonel North, the "Nitrate King," as 
he was called, and the other Baron Hirsch, who ended 
by making many friends in England. Colonel North 
was what might be called a "rough diamond." He had 
a large place near London, which was furnished regard- 
less of expense, where he kept open house and enter- 
tained in a most lavish manner the hordes of hangers-on 
and sycophants by whom— like all rich men of that type 
—he was invariably surrounded. Dining with us once 
I was much amused at the description he gave me of his 
picture gallery. That very day he had bought a "grand 
picture" for which he had given the large sum of £8000. 

283 



REMINISCENCES OF 

I asked who it was by ; that he could not remember, nor 
even the subject. "But," he added, "it is twelve feet by 
eight!" He was a kindly man, and very charitable. 

Baron Hirsch, whose generosity to his co-religionists 
will long preserve his name, was one of the few million- 
aires I have met who knew thoroughly how to enjoy 
himself. He had the real ''joie de vivre," and delighted 
in seeing people amusing themselves. His shooting- 
parties in England and in Austria were most pleasant. 
No mean sportsman himself, he had the knack of getting 
together congenial people and the best of shots. On one 
occasion at his place, St. Johann (in Hungary), when 
the Prince of Wales, Lord de Grey, Mr. H. Stoner and 
Lord Ashburton were of the party, the total bag of 
partridges for one day reached 3000. Life at St. 
Johann was simple and healthy. Shortly after breakfast 
eight or ten victorias would appear at the door, the horses 
in gay harness and the postilions in hussar-like blue 
jackets, Hessian boots and shiny, high -crowned hats. 
We would then drive to the rendezvous where an army 
of beaters— six hundred or more — were waiting. 
Drawn up in line, we started off at the sound of a bugle 
and the cry of VorwdrtSj, and then advancing, still in 
line, walked for miles over the sanded plains, dotted 
about with tufts of stubble which afforded cover for the 
enormous blue hares common in that part of the country. 
Now and then we came across woods in which roe-deer, 
blackcock and pheasants abounded. Luncheon took 
place out of doors, in all weather. Some days only part- 
ridges would be driven. I remember once laughing 
heartily at a shooter in whose butt I was. As the huge 
coveys flew over him seemingly from every point of the 

284* 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

compass, he kept calling out to them in his excitement, 
"For Heaven's sake, stop! Oh, do wait one moment!" 

On my way back from one of these parties I stopped 
in Vienna for a few days. The late Colonel Kodolitch, 
who was very well known in London, invited me to go and 
see his Hungarian regiment. He procured me a charger 
of sorts and on this prancing steed I galloped down 
the line with him, afterward witnessing the different 
manoeuvers, and the charging en masse of hurdles and 
fences, a very pretty and unusual sight. As I was leav- 
ing, escorted to the station by Colonel Kodolitch and 
some of his officers, he said to me, "Please say Ich danhe 
sehr to the officers." This I did, much to their amuse- 
ment, as I found later it was the customary remark of a 
general after inspecting a regiment. I was much chaffed 
over the joke perpetrated on me. 

Once in passing through Paris, I had a strange and 
unpleasant experience. I was going by the midday 
train, and happened to be standing in one of the arch- 
ways in the Gare du Nord, which presented its usual 
busy and animated scene, when I suddenly heard a 
shot fired, followed by two or three more in rapid suc- 
cession, and a man with his hand to his hip and an 
agonized expression on his face, ran, or rather hobbled, 
past me from behind one of the pillars of the archway. 
He was closely followed by another man who held a 
revolver, which he again fired off, this time so close 
to me that I fled in terror, seeing, as I ran, the victim 
fall to the ground, the murderer still firing at him. 
A large crowd, which had scattered in every direction 
at the fii'st shots, now rushed to the spot. Mean- 
while, fearing that the man was running amuck and 

285 



REMINISCENCES OF 

that I might be the next recipient of his wild firing, I 
ran down the platform as fast as a heavy fur coat and 
various encumbrances permitted me. Unfortunately, I 
dropped my muff, which happened to be a sable one 
adorned with tails, containing my purse and ticket. 
Before I could pick it up a man pounced on it and made 
off at top speed toward the swinging glass doors lead- 
ing out of the station. As I followed calling out, I saw 
him vanish through one of the doors and reappear by 
another like a clown in a pantomime. Calm and uncon- 
cerned he was swinging a cane and no muff was visible. 
While I stared at him in utter amazement I spied one 
of the tails of the muff sticking out from his coat, which 
he was endeavoring to keep closed. At that moment the 
bell which announced the departure of the train began 
to ring. There was no time for words ; it was a case of 
"Do or die." I rushed at the thief, seized the tail of 
the muff and jumped into the train, which I just man- 
aged to catch, leaving the man with his mouth wide 
open, still staring as we crawled out of the station. As 
to the wretched victim of the shooting, I heard after- 
ward that the assassin had shot him seven times before 
he was overpowered, and then tried to beat out his brains 
with the butt-end of the revolver, so great was his deter- 
mination to kill him. A passenger received a stray shot 
in his leg, and altogether it was a scene of wild excite- 
ment and confusion. From the paper which gave an 
account of the fray it appeared that both men were 
Americans, the murderer having stalked his prey for 
more than a year and caught him as he was leaving 
France for America. It was proved at the trial that 
love and money were the motives of the crime. With 

286 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

the usual procrastination of French justice, the case 
dragged on for so many months that I lost sight of it in 
the newspapers. 

In 1891, I paid my first, to me a memorable, visit to 
Bayreuth. Wagner's music was not as popular then as 
it is now, at least in England. The "Ring des Niebe- 
lungs," which had been given for years with the greatest 
success in New York, had not as yet been produced in 
London. The ordinary opera-goer thought himself very 
advanced if he could sit through "Lohengrin" ; as to "Die 
Meistersinger" or "Tristan and Isolde," to most people 
they were a concatenation of discordant sounds. Vast 
was the ignorance displayed by the public. I myself on 
one occasion when "Tristan" was being given, heard a 
couple who were sitting behind me, sympathize with 
Isolde for her "long wait" for Tristan in the third act. 
Van Dyck as Tristan had been singing for more than 
half an hour, and, although by a stretch of the imagina- 
tion, he might have been mistaken for a woman lying 
there covered with a rug, still they should have distin- 
guished between a tenor and a soprano. On the other 
hand, even would-be Wagnerians were sometimes led 
astray. A friend of mine, who is anything but musical, 
was persuaded by an embryo enthusiast to go with him 
to hear "Lohengrin." "But I don't think I care about 
music," said the poor martyr; "and I know I shall not 
understand a thing." "Nonsense, of course you will," 
replied the other, and so accordingly they went. As the 
violins attacked the long sustained note in A which marks 
the opening of the overture, the two friends looked un- 
easily at each other. "What is that noise?" asked the 
unmusical one. "I can't think," said the other, as the 

287 



REMINISCENCES OF 

note was still being held, "unless it is the gas escap- 
ing." 

My sister Mrs. Leslie, who intended to go with me 
to Bayreuth, had the happy idea of arranging some lec- 
tures on the "Ring" at her house in order to familiarize 
us with it. A German musician, a well-known exponent 
of Wagner, was pressed into the service, and he brought 
with him a lady who was to sing the different motifs. 
The lectures became a great success, and were attended 
by all our musical friends. The professor's knowledge 
of English was, at that time, as slight as his accent was 
strong, and this added a hilarity to the proceedings 
which was certainly not intended. As some young ladies 
were present, he was at times greatly exercised in ex- 
plaining the story of the "Ring." "Siegfried" in par- 
ticular worried him much. "Dee ladees mus not mind 
dis bad bisness of Sigmund und Sieglinde; it is schrech- 
lich^ but it is only zee lofs of zee gods, vich do not 
count. . . . Und here we have zee lofe motif illustrated 
by 'triolets' or triplets as you say in English." And 
amid smothered laughter, the lecturer would play the 
motif and the lady would warble. 

A few years have increased Wagner's popularity in 
England to an astounding degree. Now no concert can 
be given without one or more Wagnerian selections, and 
at the Covent Garden Opera House, the "Cycle" which is 
performed two or three times every season, attracts huge 
crowds. Not content with this, the public largely sup- 
ported a very creditable performance given in English 
by an English company in the winter of 1908. It must 
be added that Dr. Richter conducted, which may ac- 
count in a large degree for its excellence. Contem- 

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LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

porary music seems imbued with a Wagnerian spirit, 
and no doubt orchestration has gained what in origi- 
nahty has been lost. This reminds me of a musical critic 
who had a place next to mine during the Leeds Festival 
of 1907. He was an ardent admirer of Elgar, whose 
"Kingdom" was being given. Observing that I was 
making some notes on my score, he asked at the end of 
the performance if he might inquire what I was record- 
ing. "Only my recollections of 'Tristan' and 'Parsifal' 
as they recur to my memory in this work," I mischiev- 
ously answered. Looking at me with a rather dubious 
expression, "Oh, yes, quite so," he murmured; "I do 
not deny that Wagner came first, but," with a com- 
prehensive wave of his hand, "Elgar has gone on." 
Such enthusiasm is refreshing. 

Speaking of the Leeds Festival it is curious that these 
musical orgies flourish in this country better than in any 
other, considering that the English nation is not thought 
to be musical. Perhaps this is owing to the excellence 
of the Leeds, Birmingham, and Huddersfield choirs 
which, according to Dr. Richter, are the finest in the 
world. Be that as it may, it is only an English audience 
which will stand a week of oratorios. 

The opera even is taken much more seriously than 
formerly. What with "all lights out" and "no talking," 
it is a solemn affair, not to be treated lightly. In Paris, 
the contrary prevails. You are invited to come to the 
opera to "see so-and-so dance," and it is generally 
treated as a place for social intercourse and conversa- 
tion. One night, at a dinner in London, I sat next to 

the Due de G , who had just arrived from Paris. 

"Delicieuse soiree a I'Opera hier," said he; "il y avait 
'* 291 



REMINISCENCES OF 

foule." "What was given?" I asked. "Oh, je n'en sais 
rien — mais nous avons re9us cinquante-quatre visiles 
dans notre loge !" This is one way of treating the opera, 
but the person who insists on explaining everything, 
or hums the melodies which are being sung is equally 

aggravating. A story is told of the late Lord L , 

who was a frequenter of the opera, and had, it is said, 
this bad habit. One night in the omnibus box, he began 
whistling and humming as usual. "What a bore that 
Jean de Reszke is!" said a wag who was in the box. 
"Why?" asked Lord L in astonishment. "Be- 
cause the fellow is preventing me from hearing you 
properly." 

But this digression has led me far from Bayreuth. 
Our party consisted of Lady de Grey, my sister Mrs. 
Leslie, Mr. Evan Charteris and one or two others. Bay- 
reuth was not as luxurious in those days as it has since 
become. It was only frequented by the real lovers of 
music, who were prepared for the sake of it to be as 
uncomfortable as German ideas of comfort could make 
them. We were all billeted on different people, who in 
some cases could have only one lodger. My sister and I 
were fortunate enough to secure rooms at a banker's, 
where we fared sumptuously compared to some. We 
gave ourselves up entirely to the object of the moment, 
and took it au grand serieuoo, only thinking of what we 
were going to hear or had heard. 

My first impression of "Parsifal" was, as the Teutons 
say, ''colossal." The pilgrimage to Bayreuth, the "low 
living and high thinking," combined with the musical 
atmosphere we were living in, contributed no doubt to 
the raptui'e we felt, but that it existed was undeniable. 

292 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Our little party had settled to meet between the acts and 
exchange opinions, but so great were our emotions that 
we all fled in different directions, avoiding one another, 
until the performance was over, when we should be more 
calm. So serious was the audience that they were not 
even disturbed by the fact that Parsifal's wig came off 
in the third act, during the Flower Maidens' song. Not 
a titter was heard. 

We spent a delightful week, although, personally, I 
was suffering agonies with toothache, until I found an 
unexpected Good Samaritan in the lady who sat behind 
me, and who produced cocaine. This lady was no less 
a person than Mrs. Sam Lewis, wife of the well-known 
money-lender; an excellent musician, she was a God- 
send to innumerable artists, and at her death left many 
legacies to them, besides ,£10,000 a year to a Consump- 
tive Hospital, out of the huge fortune left her by her 
husband. Mr. Lewis, unlike his wife, was not artistic. 
It is told of him that, having once made a fortnight's 
stay in Rome, he was asked how he liked it. "You can 
'ave Rome," was his laconic answer. 

We varied our pleasures by excursions on the off days 
of the all-important performances, and by attending 
Frau Cosima Wagner's receptions, which were charm- 
ing and unconventional. 

Later in Paris and in London, I had occasion to meet 
her son, Siegfried Wagner. I remember at a dinner 
given in his honor that the question arose as to which 
composers one would choose if limited to two. We were 
twelve at the table and I was the only one who did not 
name Wagner. Partly out of contradiction and partly 
because I think so, I mentioned Bach and Beethoven. 

295 



REMINISCENCES OF 

"My father would also have chosen them," said Siegfried, 
to the confusion of the flatterers! I met him once or 
twice afterwards in Paris at Comitess Wolkenstein's, 
the Austrian Ambassadress at that time. This distin- 
guished lady, who as Countess Stieglitz had a salon in 
Berlin, was supposed to be the only woman whose influ- 
ence was feared by Bismarck. A life-long friend and 
patron of Wagner, she stood by him in his dark days, 
and later assisted at his triumphs. Mme. Wolken- 
stein never misses her yearly visit to Bayreuth, where 
she generally stays with Mme. Wagner. When in 
Paris, we often went sight-seeing together, accompanied 
by Widor, the celebrated organist of St. Sulpice. A 
wonderful pianist, Mme. de Wolkenstein was rather 
hypercritical, and positively feared hearing indifferent 
music. I asked her to dine one night to meet a young 
and talented amateur, who was very amusing besides. 
"Est-ce qiiil pratique?" she inquired hesitatingly. On 
being assured that he would not play, she accepted. In 
the end, however, he did perform, much to my delight 
and her appreciation. 

I was once asked to meet the Abbe Liszt at the 
Russian Embassy in London, when M. de Staal was 
Ambassador. I sat next the great man, whose strong 
and characteristic face, so often delineated both by brush 
and chisel, seemed strangely familiar. He was so blind 
that he ate his asparagus by the wrong end, until I 
pointed out his error. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "merci bien, 
il me semblait tout de meme que cela n'etait pas tres 
bon!" After luncheon, notwithstanding his gouty 
fingers, he was prevailed upon to play. "Helas," he 
said, "le moindre de mes eleves jouent mieux que moi 

296 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

maintenant." Aiid it was pathetically true. I never 
heard him at his best. Rubinstein I well recollect with 
his long hair tossed about, the perspiration pouring down 
his face as his big hands tore up and down the piano. 
Full of tricks — to which so many artists become ad- 
dicted — when he reached the culminating fortissimo j, 
wild with excitement, he would hit with his palms or his 
forearm as many notes as he possibly could, until he 
seemed positively to get to the end of the instrument, 
making the strings snap and the wood sound. When I 
was in Russia, I was told that the head-teacher of a 
well-known ladies' school in St. Petersburg asked him 
how many hours a day her pupils should practise the 
piano. "None," said Rubinstein. 

Many musicians have honored me by performing at 
my house, and apart from the pleasure they have brought 
me, I have always felt great sympathy for them in their 
arduous and precarious careers. "So many are called 
and so few chosen," and on what slender foundations 
their success rests! A cold, an illness and their voice 
and fortune may vanish; and think of the grinding 
slavery instruments mean ! Plante the pianist, that past- 
master in technique, told me that if, for some reason or 
other, he was incapacitated from practising for three 
months he would never have the courage to take it up 
again. Then again the empty concert-rooms and the 
adverse criticism of the struggling days must try the 
hearts of the stoutest. Paderewski, when he first came 
to London, brought me a letter from a mutual friend. 
I invited to meet him a select few whom I knew to be 
capable of appreciating and judging him. Needless to 
say, their admiration and enthusiasm were unbounded. 

297 



REMINISCENCES OF 

A few days later he gave his first concert in St. James's 
Hall. The place was only half full and behind me were 
two musical critics taking notes for their papers. 
"There 's not much in this fellow," said one. "He 
would be all right," said the other, "if he would leave 
Chopin alone, which he plays against all traditions." 
Stephen Heller, one of Chopin's friends and my first 
music professor, told me that the great composer never 
played his works twice in the same way — so much for 
the musical critics ! The following year Paderewski, hav- 
ing had a gigantic success in Paris and elsewhere, re- 
turned to London, where he received an ovation from an 
excited and enthusiastic audience who stormed the plat- 
form to kiss his hands ! 

Personally I have never been able to surmount the 
nervousness one feels in playing before the public 
whether in concerted pieces or alone. What musical 
performers good, bad, or indifferent, have not at some 
time or other, felt their nerve giving way as they ap- 
proached a difficult passage? Only to think of it is 
fatal! Once, at some concert for charity, I was playing 
a classical piece, the first movement of which had a few 
bars of some difficulty. The first time for the da capo, I 
got over it all right, but to lead to the next movement 
it had to be repeated with variations in another key. 
To my consternation, I found myself embarking on the 
same one, which, of course, led me to repeating the first 
movement. Again, as I came to the fatal passage, I 
trembled and did the same thing. Three times did I 
repeat that movement until the audience were becom- 
ing quite familiar with the tune. As for me, I felt in 
a hideous nightmare and was on the verge of jumping 

298 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

up from the piano and rushing off the stage, when, oh! 
joy! the fourth time I mechanically played the right 
bars and was able eventually to bring the piece to its 
conclusion. Hans von Biilow is supposed to have done 
the same thing once with a sonata of Beethoven, until in 
desperation he had to send for the music. 

On another occasion I was brought to confusion, but 
this time not through my own fault. It was at a con- 
cert in the city given at the Mansion House before 

a large audience. Mile. and I were to play a 

Polonaise of Chopin on two pianos. As our turn came 
Mile., who was a professional of some experience and 
execution, said hurriedly to me, "At the eleventh bar on 
the sixth page, when I make you a sign stop, as I mean to 
put in a little cadenza of my own." Before I could re- 
monstrate or point out that it would be an unnecessary 
addition to one of Chopin's masterpieces, the lady had 
seated herself at the piano, and perforce I had to follow 
suit. When she arrived at the eleventh bar of the sixth 
page, she nodded violently to me, and then proceeded to 
dazzle the company with arpeggios, runs and trills, until 
I began to wonder if I should ever find the propitious 
moment to reenter. I finally did, and had the pleasure 
of hearing from the occupants of the front row as I went 
out, "Poor Lady Randolph, what a pity she lost her 
place for so long !" 

To be able to read music well and to accompany is all 
that need be required of amateurs. It is an age of 
virtuosi and mechanical instruments, and the poorest 
judge is becoming hypercritical. There is no doubt that 
the day has passed when people will listen patiently after 
dinner to the playing of the "Moonlight Sonata" or the 

301 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

"Priere d'une Vierge," executed by the daughter of the 
house. Formerly in England, every girl was taught to 
sing whether she had a voice or not, but the intelligent 
mother of to-day realizes that her daughters are better 
employed in listening to good music than in performing 
badly. 

I think I may fitly end this chapter, which somehow 
has drifted into one on music, by speaking of the late 
Sir Arthur Sullivan, who was one of the kindest and 
most gentle of men and a great friend of mine. It was 
my good fortune to be present at most of the "first nights" 
of his productions and no one, who did not assist at them, 
can realize the unbounded enthusiasm with which they 
were received, or the excitement with which a new work 
was looked forward to by the public. It was quite a 
national event. Gilbert's delicate and subtle humor and 
Sullivan's melodies and exquisite orchestration make 
such a felicitous combination that I cannot think "Time 
will stale their infinite variety." 

At the outbreak of the South African War, Sullivan 
wrote the music to Rudyard Kipling's "Absent-Minded 
Beggar." The sale of this song realized £75,000, which 
went to the war fund. Happening to visit Sir Arthur 
one day when he had just finished it, I begged him to 
play it — which he did. I confess I did not like it. 
"Well, what is your opinion?" he asked. I answered 
guardedly, "I 'm afraid I think the words are rather 
vulgar: 'Cook's son, duke's son, son of a belted earl!' " 

"And so is the music," said he. 



302 



CHAPTER XIII 

TOUR ROUND THE WORLD — CANADA— CALIFORNIA — 

JAPAN 

ON the morning of the 27th of June, 1894, I 
started with Lord Randolph Churchill from 
Euston Station for a tour round the world. 
Quite a number of friends besides our families came to 
see us off; among them were Lord and Lady London- 
derry, Lady Jeune, Lord Rosebery, and Mr. Goschen. 
Randolph was very pleased and touched at his old friend 
Lord Rosebery coming, and frequently alluded to it 
afterward. At Liverpool Mr. Ismay met us on board 
the Majestic; he reminded me of the Jubilee trip on the 
Teutonic^ which already seemed in the distant past. 
Rough seas and uninteresting passengers were not con- 
ducive to the time passing quickly. The only incidents 
I remember were the inevitable concert, in which I was 
pressed into the service, and the excitement another 
night of nearly running down a vessel. It was a strange 
sensation to awake finding our ship stopped, and to feel 
instead of the throbbing and noise of the machinery an 
unwonted calm, broken only by the incessant and irri- 
tating sound of fog-horns. 

We remained only two days in New York as the 
thermometer recorded 81 degrees in the shade, Mr. 

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REMINISCENCES OF 

Chauncey Depew, who was one of the few people we 
saw, was good enough to place his private car at our 
disposal for the projected journey to Bar Harbor. I 
remember asking him if it was true that he had tele- 
graphed to Lord Rosebery when "Ladas'^ won the 
Derby, "Nothing left but Heaven." He replied that it 
was. 

This was my first experience of a private car, which 
proved to be as well appointed as a small yacht, and was 
a most enjoyable mode of traveling. The colored cook 
prepared an excellent dinner, and we slept as comfort- 
ably as we could have done in our own beds. After the 
dust and heat of New York, Bar Harbor seemed a haven 
of rest with its fresh sea-breezes, lovely drives, and 
mountain walks. As far as I could gather the life there 
was very much a second edition of Newport, and con- 
sisted in perpetual dressing, dimiers, and dances, and 
that horror of horrors, the leaving of cards. It was very 
pleasant notwithstanding, and we indulged in all the 
amusements of the place. We were invited to a dance 
at the Kebo Valley Club, a charming house thoroughly 
suited to the country. It was a real joy to dance the 
"Boston," which only Americans know properly. There 
we met a number of pretty girls whom I often saw driv- 
ing or playing lawn-tennis, and who, anticipating the 
"hatless brigade" of to-day, were invariably without 
hats. This I was told was to bleach their hair. I made 
the acquaintance of some delightful women with whom 
I found myself in that perfect sympathy which can only 
be felt among compatriots. Mr. George Vanderbilt — 
a very cultivated young man — was then unmarried; he 
had a steam-yacht in which he took us to see East Har- 

304 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

bor, where we had a fine view and a sea below. Close to 
his house, which faced the sea, was a swimming-bath 
open to the sky, through which salt water was constantly 
flowing. Here he and his friends of both sexes dis- 
ported themselves, bobbing up and down, diving and 
swimming, without shyness— and, I must say, with- 
out vanity; for it must be owned that women do not 
look their best under such circumstances. While in 
the water there was no hilarity or chaff, everything 
was conducted with the greatest decorum, not to say 
ceremony, which added to the ludicrous effect upon the 
spectators. 

We dined one night with Mrs. Van Rensselaer Jones to 
meet Marion Crawford, who was staying with her. Mr. 
IVIarion Crawford was the best of company. Tall, dark, 
with piercing blue eyes, a decided chin and kind mouth 
adorned with a small mustache, I thought him the very 
best type of a good-looking American, He has a pleas- 
ant voice, modulated by his constant use of the Italian 
language, and talked most agreeably on all subjects. 
At that time he took a very gloomy view of the political 
outlook in America, and declared that the problem of 
socialism would be solved there. Some one accused him 
of being an idle man and loving the dolce far' niente. 
"Idle!" he exclaimed, and his eyes sparkled with indig- 
nation; "for sixteen years I have worked and made a 
living by my pen, and have produced twenty-five 
novels !" 

At the same dinner I met for the first time Mr. Court- 
land Palmer, a young amateur pianist who was inspired 
with the real feu sacre, and was able then as now to hold 
his own with professionals. During my stay at Bar 

305 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Harbor we met frequently and played the piano to- 
gether. 

One of our many expeditions was a sail in the May- 
flower, the yacht which won the International Yacht 
Race against the Galatea. There was a Bishop on board 
who was described to me as a "bully Bishop," but we 
thought his appearance somewhat disreputable, and did 

not cultivate him. Mr. C , commonly called the 

**Greek god" — a name which suited him admirably — 
was also there. When I told Randolph his nickname, he 
declared he "could have nothing to do with a Greek 
god." But he did, and liked him. Before leaving 
Bar Harbor the Nourmahal, a big steam-yacht belong- 
ing to the John Jacob Astors came into the harbor. 
Mrs. Astor's beauty and grace, not to mention the 
charming simplicity of her nature, must always com- 
mand admiration; but, had she been the Empress of 
Russia, her arrival could not have caused more com- 
motion. 

It was with regret that we left Bar Harbor and its 
bright and hospitable inhabitants, and started on our 
Canadian journey. With some difficulty we procured a 
private car from the Pullman Company, the president 
of the Canadian Pacific Railway, notwithstanding our 
letters to him, proving a broken reed. The officials were 
persuaded to place us at the end of the train in order 
that we might make use of the observation room with 
which our car, the "lolanthe," was furnished, and which 
proved a great boon. We sat there all day, or on the 
platform, regardless of dust and cinders. The scenery 
at first was very disappointing— an endless straight 
track, bordered on either side by a small pink flower 

306 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

which never left us until we reached Vancouver. The 
names of the various stations seemed to represent all 
the nations of the world: Portage la Prairie, Winni- 
peg, MacGregor, Medicine Hat, and so on. At the 
latter place we stopped an hour and visited the hos- 
pital, where the superintendent with much pride showed 
us in the visiting-book the signatures of the Duke 
and Duchess of Connaught. On an average our 
train stopped every half hour, with much whistling, 
ringing of bells, and exchange of greetings between the 
engine-driver and the inhabitants. Every log-cabin 
was a station and every platform the club of these poor 
people, whose only excitement was the daily arrival of 
the train. After Winnipeg we had two days of prairies 
which I should have liked to ride over. Every now and 
then in the distance one caught sight of a ranch sur- 
rounded by trees, looking like an oasis in the desert. 
Before reaching the Rockies we saw some prairie-dogs, 
strange little animals like hairless squirrels with rat-tails. 
Life on one of these prairies, although probably monot- 
onous, must have the compensations which come with 
peace and the close study of nature. 

At Banff we had our car put into a siding, and passed 
two days there, which well repaid us. For the first time 
we saw the Rockies in all their grandeur. Unfortu- 
nately, a prairie-fire which we passed on our way some 
thirty or forty miles from Banff, had filled the air with 
smoke and made the mountains misty. Still, we could 
see enough to realize the magnificence of the scenery. 
The heat and the "skeeters" were rather drawbacks to ex- 
peditions, but we could not resist the "call of the wild," 
and drove about all day in uncomfortable buckboards 

307 



REMINISCENCES OF 

and "cutunders." On one of those drives I insisted 
on getting down and touching some "Hoodoos" for luck. 
These curious natural monuments, half earth, half 
stone, are looked upon by the Indians with great super- 
stition and awe, "hoodoo" being the Indian word for 
"spook." They certainly were uncanny objects. One 
over seventy feet high was exactly like the half-formed 
figure of a man seated on a pedestal. Our driver was 
a very intelligent, well-educated young man; I was 
amused at his telling me that the last Englishman he had 
driven thought "it was a mistake to plant the trees so 
close together"! The Vermilion Lakes (so called be- 
cause the reeds with which they abound turn bright red 
in the autumn) enchanted us with their marvelous 
beauty. We were rowed the whole length of the two 
lakes— eight miles. The enormous snow-clad mountains 
made a vivid contrast to the fresh green vegetation 
around us, brilliant with mauve, pink, and yellow flow- 
ers, while the blue water was so clear that we could see 
the bottom of the lake, over which two eagles were 
circling. 

On the journey to Vancouver we could not tear our- 
selves away from the observation room and the plat- 
form, so glorious was the scenery. Among those 
stupendous heights one expected to see the Valkyries 
rushing along from peak to peak and Wotan on the 
war-path. Again, however, we lost much of the view 
by the smoke which sometimes hung for miles be- 
tween us and everything. Great forest fires seemed to 
be raging everywhere, and at times we would wend our 
way through burning trees on either side. It was a 
melancholy sight to see the miles of black stumps and 

308 




LADV RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

leafless skeletons, their twisted and tortured branches 
standing out against the background of snow, while the 
bright green ferns and variegated flowers made a carpet 
at their feet. I thought the destruction rather wanton, 
as in some places we saw trees burning down close to the 
stations on the railway track, but no one attempted to 
put the fires out. 

Twenty-four hours of Vancouver was enough for us, 
and we left for Victoria in a small steamer filled with a 
motley crowd. The weather was so cold we could only 
gaze at the scenery through our cabin windows. We 
found Victoria far more attractive than Vancouver, even 
though it is possible that it is being "left behind," as is 
asserted by the rival city. I lunched one day with the 
Bishop of Columbia, and suddenly realized that I was 
in a British dependency when a bevy of healthy-looking 
girls came in from playing off a lawn-tennis tournament 
escorted by a couple of curates. While there we re- 
ceived a visit from Colonel Baker, a brother of Valentine 
Baker of Egyptian fame. Being in the British Colum- 
bian government, he was full of information. I was 
somewhat startled when he said, "Now that I am in the 
Cabinet." My ignorance was so great that I learned 
for the first time that British Columbia had a constitu- 
tion and a Parliament of its own. Home Rule with a 
vengeance! Colonel Baker enlightened me. Igatheredthat 
their Parliament lasts for four years, and their Parties 
are not divided into Liberals and Conservatives, but are 
called the "Ins" and the "Outs." Their policy is merely 
that of Local Government Board or County Council, 
and interest in such foreign questions as may aff'ect 
them. The "Ins" want to stay in, and the "Outs" strive 

311 



REMINISCENCES OF 

to get in, which struck me as describing the feelings of 
pohticians of all countries and parties. 

At Victoria I had my first experience of a male 
Chinese housemaid whom I mistook (notwithstanding 
trousers) for a comfortable old woman. I found an ex- 
cellent Steinway piano in the hotel, and played to my 
heart's content, to the evident delight of some old ladies 
who used to congregate to hear me. On one occasion, 
however, I scattered them like frightened wood-pigeons 
when, to the inquiry what was the "sweetly pretty" 
tune I was playing, I answered, "Gotterddminerung!" 
with an emphasis on the third syllable. With one look 
of pained surprise they gathered up their skirts and 
fled. 

H. M. S. Royal Arthur, with Admiral Stephenson on 
board was lying off Esquimault (pronounced Squimalt 
by the inhabitants) ; we lunched with him one day and 
saw the sights, such as they were. It was very pleasant 
to meet an old friend again, and he took us back to Vic- 
toria on his barge. On the way we came across many 
canoes filled with Indians, whole families, the old squaws 
paddling away for dear life. A large log vnth two men 
astride it and a dog sitting solemnly between them, 
formed a strange-looking craft. They paddled with 
great skill as the slightest movement would have upset 
them. A tight rope was security compared to it. At a 
distance they looked as if they were sitting in the water. 

Continuing our journey we started for the Golden 
Horn in a steamer which rejoiced in the name of Walla 
Walla. After three days of cold, comfortless sea, over 
which I draw a veil, we arrived at San Francisco to find 
the weather windy and sunless. Walking was unpleas- 

312 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

ant owing to the innumerable electric tramways which 
seemed to come upon one from every direction. We 
visited Chinatown with a detective. The joss-houses, 
opium dens, and gambling places were very stuif y and 
astonishingly small. The opium-smokers lie on bare 
boards and in such uncomfortable attitudes that it is a 
mystery to me how they can find enjoyment in the per- 
nick)us practice. I was looking with amazement at a 
fat old Chinaman who had screwed himself up into a 
true lover's knot, which ought to have caused agonizing 
cramps to anything human, when he half opened his 
eyes and with an expression of beatitude said, "It 
makee me feel good." The smell of the Chinaman and 
the opium mixed — half sour, half sweet — was revolting. 
I was anxious to see the theaters, but our guide thought 
it might be rash. 

I received many baskets of flowers artistically ar- 
ranged, white, pink, and mauve sweet peas, roses of all 
kinds with long stems, and magnolia blossoms in pro- 
fusion. But the flowers in California although lovely, 
have little odor, and the fruit, which is gorgeous, lacks 
taste, like a beautiful woman devoid of brains. At a 
dinner at the University Club (in which there is a room 
prettily paneled in oak where ladies may dine), I was 
introduced to an "oyster cocktail" to which I took 
kindly, and to a "fancy roast" also made of oysters. 

In despair at not seeing the sun we departed to Mon- 
terey. We had heard much of its beauty and were not 
disappointed; indeed, the gardens surpassed all I had 
imagined. I was never tired of walking about and ad- 
miring the splendid trees, shrubs, and plants of all 
kinds, while the flowers were in a profusion I have never 
^^ 313 



REMINISCENCES OF 

seen equaled anywhere. The Arizona Garden with its 
tropical plants was new to me. We indulged in what 
is known as the "Seventeen-mile Drive" along the 
coast. The charm of this road is in its variety. As we 
drove through Monterey, which is very like a small 
Spanish town, and which California looks upon as ex- 
tremely ancient— being over one hundred years old — 
our driver pointed out several buildings, and gravely 
said they dated from 1830 or 1850! After several miles 
of forest the ocean suddenly came into view, and a 
quantity of seals were seen disporting themselves on the 
rocks, while an exciting fight was going on between two. 
We watched them for a long while — sometimes they 
would tumble off into the water, but quickly scrambled 
up again to have a few more rounds. I pro- 
posed to wait and see the end, but our driver informed 
us that they might go on for a couple of hours. On our 
way back we passed through the celebrated Cypress 
Grove, a very entrancing spot, full of mystery and 
charm. These ancient trees, so old that generations 
have lost count of them, twist their gnarled trunks away 
from the sea, their dark green heads embellished by long 
pale strands of the feathery moss which eventually 
strangles them. 

The Del Monte Hotel at Monterey was alive with the 
most energetic young people I have ever seen. They 
swam in the early morning, rode, drove, played lawn- 
tennis, and danced all night. Looking on at a ball one 
evening, I happened to relate to a gentleman whose ac- 
quaintance I had just made the remark of a Frenchman 
with whom I was once dancing. "C'est terrible'' he 
said, as, panting and puffing, he tried to regain his 

314 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

breath. "Well, why do you dance if you hate it?" I 
inquired. "C'est pour Vhygiene — Mon medecin me le 
recoinmandc" I was rather startled to see my story 
twenty- four hours afterward in a newspaper, wonder- 
fully embellished under the heading "Lady Randolph 
tells Good Stories in the Porch of Del Monte!" 

While in America we managed to evade reporters 
fairly successfully ; at San Francisco, however, an enter- 
prising journalist, having been denied an interview with 
Randolph, published an imaginary one which was so 
comical that I could not be angry. A woman reporter 
having pursued me without success, invaded my bed- 
room one morning as I was emerging from my bath, and 
when I gently but firmly pushed her out burst into tears. 
Her weeping mollified me, and I saw her later. Poor 
thing! I daresay, if the truth were known, she hated the 
interview as much as I did. 

Leaving San Francisco in the Umatilla, we repeated 
our somewhat uncomfortable journey, returning to Vic- 
toria on our way to the Far East. 

The Empress of Japan, in which we sailed for Yoko- 
hama, proved to be an ocean palace, clean and comfort- 
able, and, much to my delight and appreciation, the 
saloons were decorated with quantities of Japanese 
plants and shrubs. The Chinese waiters, too, were a 
novelty. Dressed in their butcher-blue or white, they 
looked picturesque. Among the passengers were Baron 
Speck von Sternburg, late German Ambassador at 
Washington, and Mr. Villiers, the war correspondent of 
"The Graphic." We were greatly interested and excited 
at the thought that we should find Japan in a martial 
state, as the Chinese and Japanese war was then at its 

315 



REMINISCENCES OF 

height ; and, not knowing Japan, we anticipated stirring 
scenes and sights. Great were to be the doings of Mr. 
VilHers, who expected to go at once to the front. 

On arriving, we found that the harbor of Yokohama 
was laid with torpedoes and submarines, and the captain 
had to get a government boat to pilot us in. I was glad 
to leave the ship, as the Pacific had been anything but 
peaceful. Rough seas, gray and leaden skies, constant 
rolling and pitching, besides the monotony, had begun 
to weary us. 

On anchoring in the harbor, we immediately found 
ourselves surrounded by a shoal of craft of all sizes and 
shapes, from a steam-launch to a sampan, Japanese 
junks hovering on the outside of the crowd. I watched 
the motley crew for some time, their various costumes — 
or the want of them — amusing me much. On a govern- 
ment launch were some little military men, dorcs sur 
toutes les coutures, coming to greet the Japanese officers 
we had on board. Much bowing and scraping took 
place. We were surrounded by sampans trying to get 
out of the way, manned by coolies dressed only in white 
cotton Eton jackets and a bright bit of blue stuff bound 
round their heads, a great contrast to the gorgeous uni- 
forms. We were not sorry to get ashore and betake 
ourselves to the hotel. 

There yve found many war correspondents, who 
looked very dejected, as they were not allowed to join 
the army. Mr. Villiers managed later to get to the 
front, but with such restrictions that I imagine his re- 
ports could have been of little value, as he was denied 
the use of the telegraph, and everything he wrote had to 
be submitted to the minister of war for supervision. 

316 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

There had been a great Japanese victory the day 
before, and this made the war more popular than ever, 
although we could not see many signs of rejoicing. I 
gathered from the different people I met that the situa- 
tion was being forced by the government, to create a 
diversion from internal troubles. I was told that the 
JEnglish in Japan rather sympathized with the Chinese, 
whereas, when later we went to China, we found the 
situation there just the reverse. Although the Chinese 
had the men and the money, they hated fighting, as was 
proved by the result of the campaign. I have always 
thought that the Japanese were very badly treated by 
Europe in general and England in particular in not 
being allowed to reap the fruits of their victory. Even 
in the recent Russian war, although conquerors, they 
were not allowed a free hand. 

After the cold of the Pacific, the damp heat of Yoko- 
hama was very trying, and we stayed only a few days 
before going up to JMyanoshita, in the hills. 

Before leaving Yokohama, I went to the theater, 
which certainly was unlike anything I had ever seen be- 
fore. We sat on the floor of our so-called box, and had 
tea like the crowd. And such a crowd ! It was an end- 
less source of interest and amusement to watch them, 
whole families— mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, 
children of all ages, and parents of different generations, 
fathers, sons, and grandsons. All had their dinners 
with them. Little trays were produced— tiny boxes full 
of rice, bowls containing weird food-stuffs, pink, white, 
and green, seaweed on rice cakes, raw fish, and nameless 
yellow condiments, tea in microscopic cups, of course, 
with no milk or sugar. The Japanese cannot understand 

319 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Europeans putting milk in their tea, as, according to 
them, it has a strong smell. The children were dressed 
and undressed during the entr'actes, and people smoked, 
slept, ate, talked, and fanned themselves. It was cer- 
tainly a great contrast to see a little "musme" such as 
Pierre Loti describes, daintily dressed in the gayest of 
kimonos and smartest of obis, sitting between a coolie 
wearing nothing but a loose cotton jacket and an old 
hag nursing a baby. Although it was true that most of 
the men had little on, and the thermometer was 85 de- 
grees, the atmosphere was not impossible, as I am sure 
would have been the case in a European theater under 
similar circumstances. The plays have usually fourteen 
or fifteen acts, and last all day, and sometimes two. This 
particular one not having an actress such as Sadi Yacco 
to interpret it, was quite unintelligible to me ; but I ad- 
mired the grace of the actresses, their easy movements 
when dancing, and the way they managed their tight 
clothes. Imagine my surprise when I found out after- 
ward that they were all men! Up to a few years ago 
men and women did not act together in Japan, the 
theatrical companies being composed of either one sex 
or the other. But a change has come over them, and 
there are now mixed companies. 

One afternoon I visited the nursery gardens of Boh- 
mer, where I saw quantities of the stunted shrubs and 
trees so dear to the Japanese heart, and with which they 
love to decorate their miniature gardens. I bought sev- 
eral, including a century-old maple about ten or twelve 
inches high, the tiny leaves of which were at that moment 
bright red. On my return to England I gave this little 
tree to the Princess of Wales, who was delighted with it; 

320 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

for all I know it may still be alive. The whole place was 
perfumed by the gold and white "moxa," and I longed 
to bring some away, as well as the huge gardenia and 
daphne plants, which were as large as ordinary hlac 
bushes. Baron Sternburg, who was with me, proposed 
that we should walk back from the gardens, but we soon 
lost ourselves, and, hot and dusty, took refuge in an in- 
viting-looking tea-house while we sent for a jinrikisha. 
The place was evidently not frequented by Europeans, 
as the little maids who waited on us hovered about me 
with the greatest curiosity, and before I could stop them, 
one had put on my gloves, another had seized my hat, 
which I had taken off, placing it on her greasy, black 
locks, and a third was strutting about with my parasol. 
At last they became quite obstreperous, and it was only 
when my companion promised them sake that they left 
us in peace. 

On leaving Yokohama, we said good-by to our 
steamer friends, and started by train for Myanoshita. 

At the station there was a great crowd : naked coolies ; 
tradesmen in flowing kimonos, carrying Mrs. Gamp 
umbrellas and topped by monstrous pot-hats ; artisans in 
blue cotton tunics, with the description and badge of 
their trade printed on their backs in white, or inclosed in 
a circle of black on a red ground; to say nothing of 
masses of women. The married ones were easily recog- 
nized by their shaved eyebrows and blackened teeth, in 
which hideous custom they indulge in order to remain 
faithful to their husbands, but v/hich conceivably might 
produce the reverse effect on the husbands themselves. 
Among them were a number of girls, their shiny hair 
stiff with camelia oil, and adorned with combs, tiny 

321 



REMINISCENCES OF 

chrysanthemums, and coral beads, their painted faces 
breaking into a smile if you looked at them. The motley 
crowd, which was reinforced at every station, walked, 
stumped, and toddled into the train, which consisted of a 
few diminutive carriages more like a glorified toy than 
anything else. Most of these people were mounted on 
clogs, making a loud and curious noise. 

After two hours of slow winding between soft-green 
hills covered with feathery vegetation, we arrived at 
Kodga, where we got into a tramway (made in Birming- 
ham), and rattled for an hour through one long street, 
which comprised endless villages. The weather being 
hot, the inhabitants, including the babies, were carrying 
on their various vocations in front of their open houses, 
minus their clothes. All seemed hard at work and good- 
humored. The Japanese are proverbially fond of chil- 
dren, who, for fear they should be lost, are each made to 
wear a little metal ticket with name and address at- 
tached. Attractive as they undoubtedly are, it is a mis- 
take to say that they never cry ; and it is equally untrue 
to say that smells do not exist in Japan. Defective 
drainage and stale fish do not, as a rule, remind one of 
the "perfumes of Araby." We stopped occasionally to 
change the wretched horses. Japanese horses have no 
quarters, and are sorry-looking quadrupeds; Chinese 
horses, on the other hand, have no shoulders. At Yumoto 
we all got into jinrikishas, each with two men, one to 
pull and the other to push, and we proceeded at a trot 
up the stoniest road I have ever traveled. Once we 
stopped at a tea-house, where the landlady, with much 
in-drawing of breath (to show her civility by not breath- 
ing in one's face) and with much bowing and rubbing of 

322 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

knees, gave us Japanese tea in the usual cups without 
handles, and the pink-and-white cakes one sees every- 
where, impossible, dry, musty horrors. Our jinrikisha- 
men, the perspiration pouring from their brown bodies, 
took off their white jackets (the one garment) and 
proceeded to wash and dash water over themselves from 
the pump near by. The pump was pretty and pictur- 
esque, consisting as it did of two bamboos, one brown, 
the other dark green ; in one of which there was a large 
bunch of wild flowers, while from the other the clear 
mountain stream poured into one of those delightful big 
Japanese tubs. The face of my maid (a prim, highly 
respectable person) was a study as the men resumed 
their mushroom hats and girded up their loins afresh. 
In consequence of my having treated them to sake at 
the tea-house, we were trotted briskly up to the Fujiyya 
Hotel. 

The place looked pretty and quaint, and the calm and 
peace were welcome, but it was disappointing to find 
the hotel full of Europeans, mostly pale, jaded people 
from Hong-Kong, Shanghai, and even Singapore, come 
to recruit in the fresh air of Myanoshita, which is 3000 
feet above the level of the sea. 

We passed a pleasant fortnight there. I never tired 
of the mountains, with their changing shadows, deep 
gorges, and rushing streams and cascades, with here and 
there to rejoice the eye a peep of the sea in the distance. 
The vegetation was a great source of interest and 
pleasure, it was all so new and so attractive: on our jour- 
ney up I counted fifty-five different kinds of agricul- 
tural products and shrubs. The number of little villages 
and houses dotted about everywhere afforded a good 

323 



REMINISCENCES OF 

glimpse of Japanese peasant life. All seemed hard- 
working, contented, and good-hmnored. One day we 
went to the Lake of Hakone, carried thither in straw 
chairs supported on bamboo sticks by four men, not a 
very comfortable mode of progression. They had a 
wonderful way of changing places with one another to 
relieve the load on their shoulders, and doing so without 
shaking one in the least. 

At a bend of the mountain path we suddenly came 
upon a large Buddha carved in the side of the rock. In- 
numerable prayers in the shape of bits of paper stuck 
on sticks were planted before him ; his legs were crossed, 
and the soles of the feet turned up to show that he 
never sullied them by contact with things earthly. The 
look of eternal peace which characterizes all the effigies 
of Buddha is due, I think, to the closed eyes being so far 
apart, the serene and slightly smiling mouth adding to 
the unfathomable expression. 

Japanese photographers are such excellent artists 
that they always manage to find the most picturesque 
point of view. If, in visiting some place, one does not 
follow in their footsteps, one is apt to be disappointed 
and think they must have idealized. These were my 
feelings at Lake Hakone, although I realized its beauty. 
We crossed the lake in two sampans, our noses in the air, 
gazing at the clouds for the point de mire of all Japan, 
Fuji-yama, the great, the sacred. But as usual she had 
veiled herself in a cloud of mist, and not having as yet 
seen her, I was fain to be content with her presentment 
on my new kimono, which I found on returning to the 
hotel. We walked back part of the way over very rough 
ground steaming with sulphurous springs. 

324 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Mr. Le Poer Trench, the English Minister, had ar- 
rived, and we were dehghted to make his acquaintance; 
and also that of Professor Basil Hall Chamberlain, 
whose book, "Things Japanese," over which I had been 
poring with enthusiasm, is a standard work for all 
English-speaking people. They brought us the news of 
the great battle of Pyong-yang, where the Japanese 
claimed to have killed 20,000 Chinamen; and of a naval 
engagement where six Chinese and three Japanese ships 
were sunk and blown up. Mr. Trench, who was un- 
married, had not at that time been very long in Japan. 
His health was not of the best, as the climate of Mexico, 
his previous diplomatic post, had not suited him. A 
thin, pleasant man of about forty-five, I found him a 
great acquisition. We used to take long walks together, 
climbing the most precipitous hills. 

The three weeks of absolute rest at Myanoshita did 
Randolph much good, everything was so reposeful, from 
the quiet Japanese landscape, with its soft grays and 
greens, to the bevy of little "musmes" who waited upon 
us, moving silently and swiftly about in their stocking- 
feet, always smiling and gentle. 

Intending to go to Tokio, we were obliged to retrace 
our steps to Yokohama, where we stayed two nights. 
There we found considerable excitement in the harbor 
over the arrival of four large German ironclads on their 
way to Korea to "watch" the progress of the war. We 
could not but think it a pity that the British seemed so 
apathetic and unrepresented. The Japanese were get- 
ting very much "above themselves," and the English 
government had rather given in to them over the last 
commercial treaty. So at least thought the Enghsh resi- 

325 



REMINISCENCES OF 

dents and merchants. The war was the one topic in the 
town. I went to a popular theater to see a play repre- 
senting the battle of Pyong-yang. It was densely 
crowded, and with difficulty we got places in the gallery. 
In the last act the Chinese troops, represented by three 
Chinamen, were perpetually being killed by twenty 
Japs, who rushed about bugling incessantly, brandishing 
swords, letting off rifles, and enjoying it madly. In the 
center of the revolving stage was a cardboard town 
which was presently lighted up with red lights, the climax 
being reached when a small, yellow general in a smart 
European uniform rushed out from the smoke, and in a 
piping treble made a speech to the army of twenty, all 
there to a man. At this a paroxysm seized the audience, 
and they became so excited that we fled. Wata, my 
jinrikisha-man, asked me if it was not "good big play." 

Although the distance to Tokio was only eighteen 
miles, we took nearly two hours to get there. We met 
a train full of soldiers going to the front; there was 
much cheering, and many sayonaras were exchanged. 
Fuji-yama, or "Fuji," as they afl*ectionately call her, 
showed herself for the first time. The top alone was 
visible, and that only for a few moments, the "Peerless 
One" retiring again behind the clouds. The expedition 
to the top is, I believe, very tiring, but most thrilling. 
Descending, one "toboggans" on one's feet through the 
ashes. This was done by Sir Harry Parkes and his wife 
forty years ago, they being the first Europeans allowed 
to ascend the mountain, which up to that time had been 
held sacred from the foot of the Western stranger. 

I was astonished to find Tokio such a vast place; it 
covers an area as large as that of London. The dis- 

326 




LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

tances are enormous, and I pitied the poor jinrikisha- 
boys, who often trotted for miles for a very small 
remuneration. We went to the Shiba Temples and saw 
the tombs of the shoguns. The inner temple is full of 
large stone-and-bronze lanterns, which are the offerings 
and tributes to the dead from their royal relatives. To 
go into the temple we had to take off our boots, while an 
apathetic priest looked on, his shaven head shaped like 
an emu's egg, and his somewhat tawdry kimono making 
him appear anything but prepossessing. We duly vis- 
ited the shrines, admired the beautiful frescoes and 
lacquered ceilings; the gold-lacquered doors of great 
value; the carvings, ten or twelve inches deep, repre- 
senting flowers and birds marvelously true to nature; 
and, last but not least, the plain stone urn over the grave 
of each shogun, the only ornament being the three gold 
asarum leaves, the crest of the Tokugawa royal family. 
Next we went to the tombs of the forty-seven Ronins, 
the brave and wonderful men, who, having revenged 
their ruined and murdered master by killing his power- 
ful enemy, all performed hara-kiri, and have been wor- 
shiped ever since. The tomb of the chief Ronin, 
O-ishi-Kura Nosuke, was covered with flowers and pa- 
per prayers, and there was a large basket of cards 
hanging on the door, to which of course we contributed 
ours. Mr. Trench invited us to luncheon at the British 
legation, where we met, among others. Captain Brinkley 
and Professor Chamberlain. The legation showed signs 
of the last earthquake, which must have been a severe 
one, as evidences of it were everywhere. Although 
more than two months had passed, repairs were still 
being made. 

329 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Another day we lunched with Captain Brinkley, to 
see his wonderful collection of china and bronzes. He 
had been a resident in Japan for over forty years, was 
the editor or proprietor of "The Japan Mail." A 
man of great influence and vast information, he was 
most pleasant to meet. Every notable person who came 
to Japan, or wished to write about the country, con- 
sulted him as a walking encyclopedia. He told me that 
of all the searching inquisitions to which he had ever 
been subjected the severest was that of Lord Curzon of 
Kedleston (then George Nathaniel Curzon). For four 
hours he plied him with questions, which, notwithstand- 
ing Captain Brinkley's knowledge of the country, were 
often difficult to answer. He spoke of him with un- 
bounded admiration as being the cleverest man he had 
ever met. Captain Brinkley's wife, a Japanese lady 
who had been married to him some years, did the honors 
of his house with that wonderful grace and gentleness 
of which Japanese women alone seem to have the secret. 
The extraordinary refinement and high-bred look of a 
well-born Japanese is most attractive. Dressed in a 
kimono of neutral-tinted silk, with a discreet ohi, and 
a soft, pale-pink eri, or collar, a beautiful, old gold- 
lacquered comb in her shiny-black hair, this lady pre- 
sented a very difl'erent appearance to the bedizened 
geisha, with the rainbow-colored garments, which is the 
accepted European idea of Japanese women. The late 
Mrs. Bishop, writing about Japan, says that to one who 
has lived there for some time, European women, how- 
ever ladylike, appear in comparison loud and vulgar in 
their voices and manners. Through an interpreter, an 
English lady who seemed a sort of dame de comjpagnie„ 

330 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Mrs. Brinkley and I were able to carry on a conversa- 
tion. In speaking of their education, obedience, I was 
told, played the greatest part. "There are the three obe- 
diences," said my hostess, "the child's obedience to its 
parents, the wife's to the husband, and the mother's to 
the eldest son." Presently we plunged into the myste- 
ries of "Peach bloom," "Sang de boeuf," and "Famille 
verte" as bit by bit the celebrated collection was brought 
in from a godown, or fireproof house, next door. In 
this custom, Captain Brinkley copied the Japanese, who 
always keep everything of value in such a place, each 
house having one of its own. A few objects are particu- 
larly selected according to the season of the year, and 
are placed in an alcove in the principal room. After 
being admired for a fortnight or so, these are sent back, 
and others are brought in their place. In this way the 
treasures can be properly appreciated, and each time ap- 
pear as fresh revelations. The Japanese consider, not 
perhaps without reason, that Europeans crowd their 
houses in an absurd manner, and make them look like 
shops. 

We ended our pleasant day by being taken to see the 
houses and gardens of Mr. Iwasaki, a magnate of Tokio, 
our host having arranged the visit beforehand. After a 
long drive in a landau, which was driven by a Japanese 
coachman garbed in a dark-blue kimono and mushroom 
hat, with a "belto," or groom, dressed in the same way, on 
the box, we came to the two houses. One was European, 
full of fine things, while the other, in which the owner 
lived, was Japanese. Having removed our shoes, we 
were taken over it. I wish I could describe its fascina- 
tions ; but where there were no ornaments, no furniture, 

331 



EEMINISCENCES OF 

no pictures save a kakemono here and there, no curtains, 
no color anywhere, it is difficult to say wherein lay the 
charm. And yet it was charming. The fineness of the 
matting, the beauty and workmanship of the woodwork, 
the lacquer frames of the screens, which were so ad- 
justed that they parted at a touch without a sound, the 
extraordinary cleanliness everywhere, and, above all, the 
different little courts on which the rooms looked, were 
delightful. The bath-room particularly pleased me. 
Made of some light-colored wood, it shone like satin and 
felt like it. A delicate carving round the base of the 
wall, representing flights of birds, formed a dado; two 
large wooden tubs of the same wood stood at the end of 
the room, encircled by brass bands beautifully polished, 
and half a dozen tubs of different sizes stood on a low 
table; the window looked out upon a small court with 
one large magnolia-tree and a very old gray-stone lan- 
tern. Another room, a sanctum sanctorum^ where the 
"tea ceremonies" were held, gave upon a wild scene ten 
feet square, where jagged rocks, prickly bushes, and 
rushing torrents spanned by stone bridges, appeared in 
pleasant contrast to the urbanities and rigid etiquette of 
these ceremonies. The smoking-room, made by open- 
ing and closing a screen, looked out upon a lake artifi- 
cially and cleverly planned, with beautiful trees and 
shrubs on its banks, and rocks of strange and varied 
colors. These rocks alone cost a fabulous sum, and had 
been brought from a great distance. The lake was 
fed from the sea, and as the sun was setting we watched 
the fish jumping high in the air. Walking round the 
gardens until it was nearly dark, every turn of the path 
presented an absolutely new aspect, the variety being 

332 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

marvelous. The gardens and houses covered twenty- 
four acres, and seemed four times that size. On our re- 
turn to the European house, we found rows of servants 
and tables set out, with all manner of cakes, sandwiches, 
and tea, waiting for us. As Mr. Iwasaki did not live 
there, I remembered being astonished at the elaborate 
preparations. Captain Brinkley told me he thought 
it was a delicate Japanese hint to him not to bring 
strangers too often. Japanese, unlike their European 
brethren, do not care to be thought rich, and al- 
though hospitable, are not fond of showing their 
houses. 

One night I went out for a walk in the main street 
after dinner, escorted by our guide. The Imperial 
Hotel at Tokio, although magnificent, was rather stuiFy, 
and every sort of insect came in at the windows, from 
mosquitos to green grasshoppers three inches long. In 
the streets, people and vendors were selling their wares 
on the pavement. The open screens of the private 
houses permitted us to look through them; at one the 
sound of a samisen attracted me, and I could not resist 
stopping and looking in. Beyond two rooms, by a not 
over-bright light, I saw a little Japanese woman sitting 
on a mat singing softly in a minor key, accompanying 
herself on the samisen. I asked Matsuda if the women 
minded publicity. Looking very shy and uncomfortable, 
he said, "Oh, Japanese no look in — not good manners." 
I felt fearfully crushed. 

Shopping expeditions were always amusing. On one 

occasion a Japanese w^oman who spoke English, the wife 

of ]Mr. Trench's valet, accompanied me, and I invested 

in some fascinating obis, Mrs. Tetsu helping me with her 

1^ 333 



REMINISCENCES OF 

excellent taste. Next we went to a curio-dealer. There 
seemed to be no shop, but we walked into a tiny garden, 
where, seated on the floor of a small house, was a smiling 
old man, who received us with many bows, placing cush- 
ions for us. Tea and shiny, brown cakes were brought 
in ; he then produced a few little boxes, and, with much 
undoing of pale blue-and-green tapes and unfolding of 
silk handkerchiefs, showed us lovely old bits of lacquer, 
china, and bronze. The more I admired, the more he 
smiled and brought forth treasures, handling the things 
tenderly as though he loved them, which was altogether 
enticing. I could not help comparing this curio-dealer 
with those of Yokohama, where they try to please for- 
eign taste by forcing themselves to forget all that is 
best in Japanese art, producing vulgar atrocities to catch 
the eye, such as gold-lacquered vases overladen with 
cloisonne placques. There is a form of Japanese art 
which seems to consist in the beauty of blemish; a vase 
to which no historical interest is attached, to our eyes 
without beauty of form or color, is of the highest value 
to the Japanese for the sake of certain blotches or im- 
perfections. I believe they will give any price for what 
they consider such a curiosity, and no one has ever been 
able to explain to the most inquisitive mind the reason 
why. 

Pierre LotI, in one of his charming descriptions of 
Japan, mentions the "Imperatrice Printemps" in such 
glowing terms that I was very desirous of seeing her. 
Mr. Trench arranged an audience, but unfortunately it 
never came oif , owing to the Empress's illness, and my 
being obliged to leave Tokio. I give the Lord Cham- 
berlain's letters on the subject, as they are amusing: 

334 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Imperial Palace, 

September 21, 1894. 
My dear Minister : 

I am glad your Excellency came back here so soon, I sent 
telegraph to Myanoshita this morning. 

I think Lady Randolph Churchill and you will be received by 
her Majesty the Empress on the 26th, however I shall not fail 
communicate to you at once when the day and hour of the 
audience is fixed. 

I think Mr. Ito told you this morning about lady's dress was 
mistake, the rule of our Court being that a lady, at such 
audience time, wears long dress and liigh neck without a bonnet. 
If a lady being a traveler, has not got the said costume I 
remember she appeared in morning dress having permission of 
the Empress beforehand. 

I remain. 

Yours faithfully, 

S. Sannomiya. 



Imperial Palace, 

September 24, 1894. 
My dear Minister : 

I am sorry to inform you that her Majesty the Empress, as I 
informed you on Saturday by Mr. Ito, will not be able to receive 
any one at least till the end of this month, for doctor advised to 
so do this morning. 

I think Lady Randolph Churchill may make a short trip 
during the time, it would be better for her. 

I remain. 

Yours very truly, 

S. Sannomiya. 
335 



REMINISCENCES OF 

October 5, 1894. 
My dear Minister : 

I have at once informed to her Majesty the Empress that 
Lady Randolph Churchill is going to leave Tokio, she says she 
feels much sorry for not being able to receive the Lady owing 
to her indisposition. 

I enclose you a letter of permission for the old Palace, Nijio 
castel, and other two small palaces. 

Yours very truly, 

S. Sannomiya. 

Following beaten tracks, we went to Nikko, where the 
first thing to attract my eyes was the "Sacred Bridge," 
which is very beautiful, the big, red-lacquered arch 
spanning the white, turbulent waters of the rushing 
Daya-Gawa standing out in picturesque contrast to the 
dark-green avenue of magnificent cryptomerias. The 
public is not allowed to cross it, and the Emj^eror does 
so only once a year. A garish electric light at one end 
was rather an eyesore, but reminded one of Japan's "go- 
aheadness," which places pot-hats on its men and tele- 
graph-poles in sight of its gods. 

It was about eight or ten degrees colder at Nikko than 
at Tokio, and we shivered in our little summer rooms, 
notwithstanding attempts at a charcoal fire. We made 
many expeditions, one day to the falls of Kiri-furi- 
notaki, and on another we walked to see the stone images 
at Kamman-sa-fuchi, said to be the offerings to the gods 
of Nikko of Shodo Shonun, the "Opener of the Moun- 
tains," who lived somewhere about the seventh century, 
and was supposed to be a very holy man. We counted 
the figures, and each made out a different number, which 

336 




From a stereujjraph, copyriijlit, i, 'i, I'j I iiderwood & Underwood, New York 
THE YOMEIMON GATIi AT NIKKli 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

was quite the correct thing to do; for, according to the 
legend, no two people are able to count them alike. 
Close by an inaccessible stone in mid-stream, with the 
Sanskrit word "Hamman," carved on it, was pointed 
out to us. Kobe Daishi, a saint, is supposed to have 
thrown his pen at the stone, and marked it forever. 

Armed with a special permit which Mr. Trench had 
obtained for us, we were able to visit the inner shrines 
of the two finest temples, lye-yasu and lye-mitsu. 
Great expectations generally mean disappointments, but 
the realities and beauties of the former temple far sur- 
passed my imagination. The surroundings of the shrines 
were most beautiful: the grand, solemn approach of 
huge cryptomerias ; the imposing flights of stone steps 
covered with the moss of ages ; the splendid granite Torii 
standing out in solitary grandeur against the sky, mak- 
ing a fine picture; and half -hidden in the dark-green 
foliage a quaint five-storied pagoda, its color giving the 
touch of warmth needed. The temple has been so often 
described that I cannot venture on it ; indeed, one might 
visit it every day for a week and not master its beauties. 
The marvelous carvings, the frescoed ceilings, the gold 
lacquer, the bronzes, and the lovely old brocades, were 
entrancing. With our special permit we were treated 
with much respect, being received by the chief priest in 
person, supported by six minor priests. After passing 
the Yomeimon Gate, which is truly wonderful, with its 
hundreds of dragons and carved flowers, we passed un- 
der another, Karamon by name, and so into the temple, 
where the two priests knelt at the entrance of the inner 
shrine, one in bright green, with a conical black cap, the 
other in a transparent white garment. Inside this holy 

339 



REMINISCENCES OF 

of holies the chief priest also knelt. The light was so 
dim I could not make out what he had on, and I confess, 
what with the solemnity of the priests, the gorgeousness 
of the surroundings, the dim religious light, and the air 
heavy with incense, I felt my curiosity must be kept 
under, and did not like to gaze about too much. Here 
Matsuda, our guide, prostrated himself, beating his head 
so many times that I wondered it did not ache. The 
shrine consisted of a rather small but beautifully deco- 
rated room, with a lacquered ceiling, containing only a 
few glass cases on the floor, with the swords and armor 
of lye-yasu, the deified shogun. A fourth door of beau- 
tiful gold lacquer opened into the last shrine, which is 
shown only to the Mikado and the chief priest, and which 
contains the effigy of lye-yasu. Through Matsuda we 
conveyed our thanks to the chief priest, a venerable old 
man with a pleasant smile, who was dressed in a pale- 
blue net garment over white, and a conical black hat 
with two cords passed under his chin. 

The inner shrine of the lye-mitsu, which we also went 
to see, was much larger, and had gold columns all round 
the room; on a low table in the center were some sacred 
missals, incense-burners, and vases with gold lotus flow- 
ers; a very fine canopy was suspended over it. This, 
being a Buddhist temple, contained more things than 
that of lye-yasu, which was Shinto, and therefore sim- 
pler. Near by the sacred white pony "Jimme" was kept 
"for the use of the god" in a simiptuous stable in one 
of the courts. On' our way back we met a family party 
of three struggling up the steps in a torrent of rain, the 
inconvenience of their dress being thoroughly demon- 
strated. Monsieur, in a brown kimono with a souppon 

340 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

of white petticoat showing over his socks and high 
wooden pattens, a huge square pot-hat, a pair of specta- 
cles, and a voluminous Japanese umbrella completing 
the costume. Madame, not a hair out of place, a sham 
camelia sticking up straight in front of the shiny black 
pouf, a mauve tassel hanging in the vicinity of her 
left ear, something in the nature of a green cord, a coral 
bead or two, and a couple of combs making up her coif- 
fure. She wore a light-gray kimono, on the sleeves of 
which her crest was embroidered in coral ; her eri was of 
pale mauve ; a black satin ohi, with some gold characters 
on it, and an extra high pair of pattens, made up a very 
effective dress; but, oh! the blackened teeth, which pro- 
claimed her respectability! Why must virtue be so 
ugly? I must not leave out "Bebe," strapped on its 
mother's back, fast asleep; his head, with its tiny tuft 
falling backward as though it would drop off, and the 
bright red crape kimono, with green flowers, made him 
look exactly like a Japanese doll. 

Deluges of rain drove us away from weird, mystical 
Nikko. It was not possible to resist the elements, and 
after changing our clothes and boots three times in one 
day, we succumbed. 

We fitly ended our visit to Japan by staying at the 
best place last, Kioto, the ancient capital, which is con- 
sidered the art center of Japan. We were enchanted with 
its quaintness and local color. The view from our rooms 
at Yaami's Hotel was most pleasing, and the first eve- 
ning of our arrival I gazed for a long time at the thou- 
sand twinkling lights of the city lying in the valley at 
our feet, the mountains forming a background in the 
twilight. 

341 



REMINISCENCES OF 

We saw all the sights of Kioto in ten days, visiting 
many curiosity-shops, which were most enticing, and 
spending many hours at the cloisonne, satsimia, and silk 
factories. Here I was shown beautiful modern produc- 
tions which quite equal any ancient Chinese or Japanese. 
Although it is said that all the really fine objects of art 
have lisft Japan and China, and are to be found in 
America or in London, there were many very attractive 
things. 

The streets at night were a most attractive sight, par- 
ticularly Theater Street, in which no jinrikishas were al- 
lowed. It was crowded with people and lighted up with 
Chinese lanterns. Outside each theater wonderful paint- 
ings were exhibited, representing the different blood- 
curdling dramas going on within. We went into a 
playhouse of actresses, and saw two acts of the usual 
impossible-to-comprehend Japanese play: wonderful 
clothes, daimyos in full war-costume, females in distress, 
tears and sobs, which were echoed by the audience, and 
of course hara-kiri, performed in detail and at much 
length. 

The Mikado's palace, which we visited, had endless 
reception-rooms, with the usual screens and fine matting. 
The Emperor squats when receiving Japanese, but sits 
in a chair when giving audience to Europeans. Some 
of the ceilings were highly decorated. His private study 
was a pleasantly situated room looking south upon a 
garden and small artificial lake; its absolute quiet and 
peacefulness seemed very reposeful. The castle being 
older, and having belonged to the shoguns, was more 
decorated, everywhere the golden Tokugawa crest, gor- 
geous ceilings, and highly lacquered screens. In the two 

342 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

or three audience-chambers the Mikado's chrysanthe- 
mum replaced the three lotus leaves. One room was par- 
ticularly nice, with a small raised platform, where the 
Emperor, arriving from a side room, would sit when he 
received. On the left was a recess in which were a few 
lacquered shelves ornamented with bits of old cloisonne, 
but of a lovely blue they seem unable to produce nowa- 
days. A few curious screens completed the rooms. Af- 
ter Nikko I was too blase of temples to go and see many 
in Kioto; but I did visit one with thirteen hundred and 
thirty-three gold-lacquered life-size images of Kwan- 
non, the Goddess of Mercy; also the new, unfinished, 
colossal temple of Shokonsha, where one saw great 
stacks of rope made of human hair, offerings from the 
women of Japan. Near by was a hideous great mound, 
which made us shudder, containing, as it did, Korean 
ears and noses, trophies of war ! 

The Governor of Kioto, Nakai by name, died while we 
were there. He formed part of the escort to Sir Harry 
Parkes when the latter, on his way to have an audience 
with the Mikado, was attacked by some two-sworded 
men, which made a great stir in Japan at the time. We 
saw the funeral procession from a curio-dealer's shop in 
one of the principal streets, which was lined by a quiet 
throng, all dressed in blue (the mourning color) . Masses 
of flowers in big baskets were carried before the hearse, 
which had the appearance of a Noah's ark borne on 
men's shoulders ; through the sliding panels, which were 
open, one caught sight of a cocked hat and feathers. 
Immediately behind came a jinrikisha, with the daughter 
of the deceased entirely in white, with her face enameled 
to match. An enormous crowd followed, dressed in 

343 



REMINISCENCES OF 

kimonos, and all wearing pot-hats of every conceivable 
shape, many with white cotton gloves. The effect was 
ludicrous. If people wonder what becomes of all the old 
hats, they have but to go to Japan. 

One of our last expeditions was to the Lake of Biwa. 
It was a long and dusty road, and I found the jinrikisha 
very tiring ; the sights on the way, too, were unpleasant. 
It was pitiful to see a mass of toiling peasants doing the 
work of beasts, dragging and pushing carts with huge 
loads up hill and down dale. All looked exhausted, and 
in most cases a woman was harnessed in front with a 
rope across her chest. I noticed one poor creature spit- 
ting blood when she reached the top of the hill. The 
lake was splendid, and we had a fine view from a temple. 
The street where the Cesarewitch (the present Em- 
peror) was attacked was pointed out to us. The two 
jinrikisha-boys who saved his life were pensioned, and, 
it is said, given so much money that they lead an idle life, 
and are ruined by drink. The biggest pine-tree in 
Japan grows at Biwa, which, although curious, with its 
innumerable gnarled roots and branches growing into 
the ground, is so propped up with poles that one can 
hardly tell which is the tree, and in consequence its sym- 
metry is lost. 

We also saw the rapids of Katsuregawa, being skil- 
fully forced up them in a sampan. The hills on each 
side looked lovely, with every sort of autumnal tint, the 
red maple leaves just turning. The monotony of our 
long drive back was relieved by a most beautiful sunset, 
the moon rising while the sky was still of the brightest 
pink with glimpses of turquoise blue, the trees and 
quaint cottages standing out in deep brown against it. 

344 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

We rejoined our ship, the Ancona, at Kobe, on our 
way to China, more than sorry to leave Japan, restful 
country of enchantment, land of courteous men and 
soft-voiced women. For months my ears still listened 
for the two most characteristic sounds in Japan — the 
tap-tap of the little pipe as it is emptied before being 
refilled, and the mournful notes of the reed lute which 
the blind masseur plays as he walks through the village 
street. 

On board the Ancona we found Mr. de Bunsen, the 
present English Ambassador to Spain; also a young 
officer who was returning to India having wasted all 
his leave in trying to see something of the war, but 
without success, the Japanese authorities proving too 
much for him. Mr. de Bunsen, an old friend of 
mine, whom I had known in Paris when he was in the 
embassy there, was at that time military attache at Bang- 
kok. It was a.great pleasure to see him again. He told 
me many interesting things about Siam and his life there, 
and tried to persuade us to pay him a visit. 

Three days exhausted the sights of Hong-Kong, the 
magnificent view being the principal attraction. My 
amusement consisted in going up and down the steep 
tramway to the peak two or three times a day. Many of 
the houses were in a dilapidated condition, owing to the 
last typhoon. We made a flying visit to Canton, going 
up the Pearl River in a large steamer which had an Eng- 
lish captain. As I entered the ship, I caught sight of 
stacks of rifles in the saloon, with printed instructions 
to the passengers to use them if necessary. This did not 
make me feel at all safe, these river steamers having 

345 



REMINISCENCES OF 

been known to be attacked by pirates. At Hong-Kong 
we were advised not to go to Canton, since, owing to the 
war and their defeat, the Chinese were in rather a turbu- 
lent state. We thought, however, as we meant to spend 
only the day there, we should be safe enough. The 
steamer was obliged to anchor at the mouth of the river, 
as there were torpedoes laid across it, and the Chinese 
pilots were rather vague as to their locality. It was a 
lovely moonlight night, and I remember the ghostly ef- 
fect of a search-light from a fort near by, which was 
constantly being turned on us, lighting up strange crafts 
and great, lumbering Chinese junks with square sails 
which hovered near. 

At Canton we were at once surrounded by a flotilla 
of sampans and junks. Our guide, A. Cum by name, 
had arranged everything for us, and we found a row of 
palanquins, each with three men, waiting. Mine was 
bright-green, lined with pale-blue, and supplied with 
transparent blinds. Not being a Chinese lady, I insisted 
on having them all pulled up. Our carriers went at a 
swinging pace through the labyrinth of narrow, crowded 
streets, uttering loud cries to the people, whom we were 
scattering right and left, to get out of the way. The 
streets were full of open shops, banners, Chinese lan- 
terns, and gaudy signs. A continuous stream of people 
hurrying along made it a most animated scene. They 
scowled and glared at us as we passed, calling us "Frank- 
wei" ("foreign devils"), and they spat at one of our 
party and liit another, who luckily did not retaliate, 
otherwise we might have been made into mincemeat. 
The shops were very attractive, and Randolph bought 
me one of the green jade bangles which have since be- 

346 





SCHWE DAGON PAGODA, SINGAPORE 




:)\"EKN.M1 _\ 1 llL'i. SE, SINGAPORE 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

come fashionable. It is supposed to keep the devil away, 
and I still wear it. 

A visit to the execution-ground was not so attractive. 
Eight men had been decapitated a few days before, and 
the blood was still on the ground. We were asked if we 
would like to see the heads, which had been placed in 
jars, an offer declined with thanks. Some of our party, 
having been told by the captain and officers of the boat 
that our expedition was rather a dangerous undertaking 
unless we were prepared to "turn the other cheek" at 
any insult, persuaded us to get back to the ship as 
quickly as we could. So after luncheon at an old palace 
called "The Garden of Flowers," we started on our re- 
turn journey, being rushed through more streets, some- 
times meeting a "towkee," or mandarin, surrounded with 
many attendants. It was then a case as to whose criers 
could make the most noise. 

We returned to Hong-Kong, and left the next day 
for Singapore, Mr. de Bunsen going with us. Sir John 
and Lady Mitchell invited us to Government House, 
where we stayed a week. I found the heat for the first 
time nearly unbearable ; it M^as like a vapor bath, ^nd so 
enervating that one felt absolutely incapable of doing 
anything. However, I was delighted with the beauty of 
the tropical plants, especially the traveler's palm, its 
height and symmetry being a revelation. 

The Malay villages perched on poles were very pic- 
turesque, particularly those in the cocoanut plantations 
near the sea. In the town every nationality seemed to 
be represented in the streets— Malays, Chinese, Hindus, 
Klings, Japanese, and Europeans of all countries, the 
Chinese, who own all the best houses, predominating. 

349 



REMINISCENCES OF 

The late Sultan of Johore gave us a sumptuous luncheon 
at his palace which lasted as long as a lord mayor's feast. 
The house was a curious mixture of good and bad taste ; 
a few real objects of art, such as old lacquered cabinets 
and boxes and fine Satsuma vases, were lost in a sea of 
tawdriness and vulgarity. In one room the tables and 
chairs were made of cut-glass, upholstered in bright- 
blue velvet, with glass buttons! After luncheon the 
Sultan, who was a charming and courteous old man, sent 
for his Sultana to come and see us. She was a very 
pretty Circassian of about twenty-five, a present from 
the Sultan of Turkey. Enormously fat, we were told 
that she was fed every two hours, the Sultan admiring 
large proportions. Her costume was most peculiar, to 
say the least— a Malay sarong of silk ; a blouse with huge 
diamond buttons ; round her neck a riviere of diamonds, 
and one of sapphires; and on her short, black curls, 
cocked over one ear, a velvet glengarry cap with an 
eagle's feather and a diamond aigret. The Sultan, 
thinking, I suppose, that she had been seen enough, sud- 
denly pointed with a stern gesture to the door. Casting 
a frightened glance at him, she fled as fast as her fat 
little feet could take her. 

At the end of the week we started for Rangoon in 
company with Sir Frank Swettenham, Resident of Pe- 
rak and later Governor of Singapore. Mr. Swetten- 
ham, as he then was, went only as far as Penang with 
us, which we regretted, as he proved a very entertaining 
companion. A man of exceptional intelligence, he was 
virtually the ruler of the Straits Settlements, and cer- 
tainly no one better understood the natives, and how to 
treat them. His books "Malay Sketches" and "Unad- 

350 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

dressed Letters" are deservedly popular. Rangoon was 
an agreeable disappointment, for although the heat was 
great, it was dry, and therefore bearable. 

The Governor, Sir Charles Mackenzie, and Lady 
Mackenzie w^ere away, but they had placed Government 
House at our disposal. I found, to my surprise, a plea- 
sant company of English people, who entertained us 
most hospitably, and amused themselves playing golf 
and polo, which, considering the heat, was most ener- 
getic. 

I was taken to see the Royal Lakes, which are gor- 
geous and beautifully kept, with a wealth of tropical 
plants and variegated flowers, great bushes of alaman- 
ders growing in wild profusion at the edge of the lakes, 
bougainvilleas climbing everywhere, and a tree of which 
I did not find out the name with dark-green foliage and 
large bunches of red flowers like grapes. As we drove 
by, I saw half a dozen priests in their yellow "tamains" 
or robes, worn like a toga, standing on some marble steps 
leading down to the lake. Behind them in the setting 
sun the great golden dome of the Schwe Dagon Pagoda 
shone in the distance, the whole forming a superb pic- 
ture. The pagoda was an endless source of interest, 
and we spent pleasant hours among its many shrines. The 
two huge white stone dragons guarding the entrance 
stood out against the deep-blue sky, the waving palms 
and tall cocoanut-trees in the background forming an 
Eastern picture full of light and color. The lepers and 
beggars infesting the steps were the only drawback. In- 
side, everything glittered; temples inlaid with colored 
glass and bits of mirror shone like jewels in the sun, their 
graceful minarets and domes marvelously carved. Piled 

351 



REMINISCENCES OF 

up before every shrine were the offerings of the Faithful, 
conspicuous among them gaudy umbrellas with fringes 
of gold or beads. I revisited the pagoda by moonlight, 
and was well repaid, as it had lost the garishness and 
tawdriness apparent in the glare of day. The spell of 
silence was over the whole scene, broken only by the not 
unmelodious voice of a fanatic reciting verses as he 
walked solemnly round and round his favorite shrine. 
I was rather amused one day at receiving a visit from 
some relatives of the late King Thebaw. These were 
three princesses; two of them were young and pretty, — 
that is, according to Burmese taste, — and were swathed 
in wraps, even their hands being hidden, whereas the 
third, who was old and ugly, wore hardly any gar- 
ments, as is the custom of the country. They pre- 
sented me with some artificial flowers made by them- 
selves, also some cheroots they "hoped I would smoke," 
and departed in a cart drawn by bullocks, for thousands 
of years the unchanged mode of conveyance in Burmah. 
Poor things! Perhaps they would not have been so 
gracious had they realized that it was my husband who 
had been instrumental in destroying their dynasty and 
annexing their country. 

Cholera was raging at Mandalay, which, much to our 
chagrin, prevented our going there. Randolph natu- 
rally wanted to see as much of the country as possible, 
he being very proud of the part he had played in the 
annexing of Burmah when at the India Office. 

Crossing the Bay of Bengal to Madras, we stayed a 
few days with Lord and Lady Wenlock at Government 
House, where we were treated with the greatest kind- 
ness. 

352 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

It had been our intention to travel for several months 
in India, but Randolph's health, which up to then had 
been good enough to allow of his enjoying the tour, sud- 
denly gave way. We were obliged to curtail our further 
travels, and proceeding to Bombay, we embarked for 
England. 



17 



353 



CHAPTER XIV 

LORD AND LADY CURZON — "tHE ANGLO-SAXON REVIEW" 

IT was on one of the many visits I paid to Bradford 
between 1884 and 1886, when Lord Randolph 
Churchill was holding political meetings there, that I 
remember for the first time hearing Lord Curzon of 
Kedleston (then Mr. George Nathaniel Curzon) make a 
speech. Called upon unexpectedly to second a resolution, 
he spoke with natural eloquence and an astonishing choice 
of words. Randolph predicted to me then that he would 
go very far. We knew him well while he was still at 
Oxford when he used to come over to Blenheim, a dis- 
tance of only eight miles. 

When he was made Viceroy of India, his many friends 
gave a farewell dinner to him and Lady Curzon. The 
speeches were most amusing, notwithstanding the note 
of sadness which prevailed at the prospect of losing for 
several years so delightful a couple. Mr. George 
Wyndham contributed the following verses, which were 
received with great applause : 

"Eight years ago we sat at your table : 

We were the guests and you were the host. 
You were young, said the World, but we knew you were able 

To justify more than your friends dared boast. 
We knew you would win all wreaths in the end, 
x\nd we knew you would still be the same dear friend : 

And that 's what we cared for most. 

354 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

"You wrote us some rhymes wherein friendship and laughter 

Played in a blaze of affection and jest 
Round the name of each one for whom no years thereafter 

Could blunt the sharp edge of that festival's zest. 
For we knew that your motto — 'Let Curzon hold 
What Curzon held' — was no whit too bold 

For its vaunt of your claim on each guest. 

"Nor was it. We 're here, though eight years have rolled o'er us, 
All fond of you, proud of you, sorry to part ; 
And we ought, one and all, to give in one chorus 

The send-ofF you 've earned from our love for your start. 
But the Brave men and Fair ones, sealed of the tribe 
Of Nathaniel, have told one incompetent scribe 
To sing what each feels in his heart. 

"He obeys : and he bids you recall all you chanted 

Of each man and each woman who sat at your board, 
And, then, to believe that the tributes you granted 

Too kindly are now, and more justly, restored 
To you and the Lady whom none of us knew 
Eight years ago ; but whom now, thanks to you, 
We have all of us known and adored. 

"So 'Go in and win !' What 's five years but a lustre 
To shine round a name that already shines bright? 
Then come back, and we '11 greet you and go such a 'buster' 

As never was seen — no, not even to-night! 
Come back in five years with your sheaves of new Fame : 
You '11 find your old Friends, and you '11 find them the same 
As now when you gladden their sight." 

The few brilliant years the Curzons spent in India 
are too recent and too familiar in people's minds for me 

357 



REMINISCENCES OF 

to dwell on that time or the tragedy which was so soon 
to follow their departure. To her great beauty Mary 
Curzon added grace of manner and kindness of heart, 
and her extraordinary and unselfish devotion to her hus- 
band made her a paragon among wives. I recall one 
other remarkable woman who was equally devoted and 
absorbed in her husband's career, and whose life was one 
of sacrifice to duty and care for others. This was my 
sister-in-law Fanny, Lady Tweedmouth, without excep- 
tion the noblest character I have ever met. Apart from 
her brilliant gifts, which made her one of the most popu- 
lar and influential political hostesses in England, her 
sympathy and advice were a tower of strength to all who 
came in contact with her. Indeed, it may be said with 
truth that society in general and the Liberal party in 
particular sustained an irreparable loss when her too 
short life ended. 

It will always be a regret to me that I was unable to 
accept the Viceroy's invitation to attend the great Dur- 
bar, that crowning function of a most memorable vice- 
regal reign. I often corresponded with Lady Curzon, 
and in one of her letters she says : 

Viceroy's Camp, 

May 18, 1903. 
. . . The result of the Durbar for Empire more than justifies 
the expenditure of £200,000 (the cost). The mere bringing 
together of people from the Chinese frontier of Thibet and 
Siam, Burmah, Bootea, Nepal, Gilgit, Chitral-Swat, Beluchistan, 
Travancore, and Kathlawar has been the most marvelous object 
lesson. Chiefs from the outer fringes of civilization who for 
years had been turbulent, gasped, "Had we known we were 

358 




LADY CURZON OF KEDLESTON 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

fighting this we should have remained in peace!" There is no 

doubt it was the most surprising gathering the world has ever 

seen or will ever see again and the "lucky hand" of George's 

organization amazed every human soul there. . . . Forgive this 

dull scrawl. I am sticking to the sides of the Himalayas like a 

barnacle with only a three weeks' old copy of the "Times" to 

make me gay or witty. Do write. You are the only person who 

lives on the crest of the wave and is always full of vitality and 

success. 

Yours ever affectionately, 

Mary. 

On the eve of their departure from England, the 
Curzons paid a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Port- 
land at Welbeck. I was of the party, and sitting next to 
Lord Curzon at dinner one night, we approached a sub- 
ject which, without my knowing it at the time, was 
fraught with great importance for me. In a despondent 
mood I bemoaned the empty life I was leading at that 
moment. Lord Curzon tried to console me by saying 
that a woman alone was a godsend in society, and that I 
might look forward to a long vista of country-house 
parties, dinners, and balls. Thinking over our conversa- 
tion later, I found myself wondering if this indeed M'^as 
all that the remainder of my life held for me. I deter- 
mined to do something, and cogitating for some time 
over what it should be, decided finally to start a review. 
My ideas were of the vaguest, but they soon shaped 
themselves. I consulted my friend Mrs. Craigie ("John 
Oliver Hobbes"), whose acquaintance I had made some 
years before at the Curzons'. At her house I met various 
people who helped me with their good counsels, notably 
Mr. Sidney Low, who became much interested in the 

361 



REMINISCENCES OF 

scheme and assisted me greatly, editing and bringing 
out two numbers during my subsequent absence in South 
Africa. Mr. John Lane, who pubHshed the first num- 
bers of the Review, was full of ideas, and originated that 
of having a new cover for each issue. Mr. Cyril Daven- 
port of the British Museum joined the staff and helped 
in the selection of the bindings, which were to be fac- 
similes of celebrated books of the sixteenth, seventeenth, 
and eighteenth centuries. They were mostly chosen 
from examples in the British Museum. He also con- 
tributed a short article descriptive of each cover. These 
essays were excellent, and form a liberal education in 
bookbinding. INIr. Lionel Cust of the National Portrait 
Gallery undertook to supervise the illustrations, which 
were reproduced as photogravures, and was indefatiga- 
ble in finding original and interesting subjects. The 
late Mr. Arthur Strong, librarian of the House of 
Lords, and at Chatsworth, was responsible for the his- 
torical matter. A delightful and enthralling period 
began, which absorbed me from morning till night in the 
most interesting of occupations. I left no stone un- 
turned to make the Review a success, and my friends 
helped me con am ore. Sometimes I became a little be- 
wildered at the conflicting advice and suggestions that I 
received. "Why don't you have articles in three lan- 
guages?" said one. "That would damn it at once," said 
another. "Mind you have something startling in the 
first number, 'New Ideas on Free Love,' or 'Sidelights 
on Royal Courts.' " "Be lofty in your ambitions ; set up 
a poetical standard to the literary world." "Why not 
get a poem from the Poet Laureate?" "Or an essay on 
bimetalism from Mr. Henry Chaplin." "Aim at a glo- 

362 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

rifled 'Yellow Book'; that 's the thing!" How amusing 
it all was! Then the title. Many were offered, from 
"The New Anthology" to "The Mentor of Mayfair." 
Sir Edgar Vincent, whose classical and literary educa- 
tion is backed by the most admirable common sense sug- 
gested "Anglo-Saxon." I thought the name most apt, 
and was enchanted. "The Anglo-Saxon"— how simple! 
It sounded strong, sensible, and solid. Of course the 
moment I had settled on the name, some obscure man 
claimed it as being registered for his still more obscure 
paper or magazine. It seemed as difficult to find an un- 
appropriated title as though I were naming a race-horse 
instead of a book. However, I found that adding the 
word "Review" made it quite safe. I had endless con- 
sultations with my literary friends, and received valuable 
information from IVIr. John Morley and the late Mr. 
Knowles of "The Nineteenth Century" as to the finan- 
cial part of the undertaking. I gave a luncheon party 
to introduce "Maggie," as the Review was affectionately 
called by some of my friends. The book in its gorgeous 
cover, the replica of Thevet's "Vie des Homines Illus- 
tresf which was executed about 1604 for James I, 
presented a brave appearance. If I could only insure 
that its 'Wamage se rapporta a son plumage'^ I felt I 
might indeed claim to have produced a Phcenix. 

The same night I dined with the Asquiths, taking the 
volume with me, where it was received with acclamation. 
I have the book still, with aU the signatures of those 
present written on the fly-leaf. 

In explanation of my venture I permit myself to 
quote here the preface to the first number, in which I 
tried to set forth my aims and objects: 

363 



REMINISCENCES OF 

The explanation of the production of another Review will be 
found in the number of those already in flourishing existence: 
the excuse must be looked for in these pages. Yet a few words 
of introduction are needed by this new-comer who comes into 
the crowded world thus late in the day, lest, in spite of his fine 
coat, he be thought an unmannerly intruder. I desire to say 
something of his purpose, of his aspirations, of his nature, in 
the hope that, if these seem admirable, good friends instead of 
jostling will help him through the press, and aid him somewhat 
in his journey toward the golden temple of literary excellence. 

The first object of every publication is commercial. "No one 
but a blockhead," says Dr. Johnson, "ever wrote except for 
money" ; and "The Anglo-Saxon" is not disposed to think lightly 
of his wares, or set low value on his effort — for otherwise his 
green-and-gold brocade would soon be threadbare. But after 
the vulgar necessities of life are thus provided for, reviews, and 
sometimes reviewers, look to other and perhaps higher ideals. 
It is of those that I would write, for are they not the credentials 
which must carry the ambitious stranger on his way? 

Formerly little was written, but much of that little was pre- 
served. The pamphlets, the satires, the lampoons, the disquisi- 
tions — above all the private letters — of the eighteenth century 
have been carefully stored for the delight of succeeding genera- 
tions. Now the daily production of printed words is incalculably 
vast. Miles of newspapers, tons of magazine articles, moun- 
tains of periodicals are distributed daily between sunrise and 
sunset. They are printed; they are read, they are forgotten. 
Little remains. And yet there is no reason why the best prod- 
ucts of an age of universal education should not be as worthy 
of preservation as those of a less cultivated era. The literary 
excellence of the modern Review is high. How many articles, 
full of solid thought and acute criticism, of wit and learning, 
are born for a purely ephemeral existence, to be read one day 
and cast into the waste-paper basket the next.'' The most 

364 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

miserable lampoons of the reign of Queen Anne are still extant. 
Some of the finest and cleverest productions of the reign of 
Queen Victoria are almost as difficult to find as ancient manu- 
scripts. The newspapers of to-day light the fires of to-morrow. 
The magazine may have a little longer life. It rests on the 
writing table for perhaps a month; and thereafter shares the 
fate of much that is good in an age that, at least in art and 
literature, takes little thought for the future. The sure know- 
ledge that their work will perish must exert a demoralizing 
effect on the writers of the present day. Newspapers and 
periodicals become cheaper and cheaper. To satisfy the loud 
demand of the enormous and growing reading public, with the 
minimum of effort, is the modern temptation. 

I do not imagine that "The Anglo-Saxon Review" will arrest 
these tendencies. But its influence may have some useful effect. 
This book is published at a price which will insure its respectful 
treatment at the hands of those who buy it. It will not be cast 
aside after a hurried perusal. It appears, too, in a guise which 
fits it for a better fate. After a brief, though not perchance 
unhonored stay on the writing table, it may be taken up into 
that Valhalla of printed things — the library. More than this, 
that it may have company, another of similar character, but 
different design will follow at an interval of three months, until 
a long row of volumes — similar but not alike — may not only 
adorn the bookshelves, and recall the elegant bindings of former 
times, but may also preserve in a permanent form something of 
the transient brilliancy of the age. 

It is with such hopes that I send the first volume out into the 
world — an adventurous pioneer. Yet he bears a name which 
may sustain him even in the hardest of struggles, and of which 
he will at all times endeavor to be worthy, a name under which 
just laws, high purpose, civilizing influence, and a fine language, 
have been spread to the remotest regions. 

Lastly, I would in this brief note express my sincere thanks to 

305 



REMINISCENCES OF 

all who have helped to fit "The Anglo-Saxon" for the battle of 
life — not only to those who have, as subscribers, furnished him 
with his costly habit, but also to those who — like the fairy god- 
mother in the child's story — have given him something of their 
energy, their wisdom and their brains. 

Among my most valued contributors was Lord Rose- 
bery, who, on account of his great friendship with Ran- 
dolph and out of kindness to me, wrote for the first num- 
ber a short essay on Sir Robert Peel. Later, in one of 
the subsequent volumes an article appeared which, to my 
regret, criticized his political opinions. I had gone to 
Scotland thinking the number was completed as I had 
seen it, but owing to the exigencies of time and space, 
the offending article had been substituted at the last mo- 
ment. I was very much annoyed, but it could not be 
helped. Writing to Lord Rosebery, I told him how 
grieved I was that anything even approaching criticism 
of him should have appeared in my review, and received 
the following characteristic answer : 

Dalmeny House, 

Edinburgh, September 28, 1901. 

... It is very good of you to write to me about 's article. 

But I had not even heard of it. Frankly, I ceased to be a sub- 
scriber after the previous number, in which I perceived the 
cloven hoof of politics. Frankly, also, I think the introduction 
of politics into "The Anglo-Saxon" a great mistake. But you 
are a better judge of this than I am. 

As to Mr. 's article, I think it very unlikely that I shall 

ever see it, and am quite sure that, if I do, it will not trouble 
me. But I tender my humble and hearty thanks to the Editress. 

366 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

On looking back at the early period of the Review, 
I often wonder how I should have succeeded without 
Pearl Craigie's intelligent help and advice. A woman 
of great sympathies, her unselfishness was realized by all 
who ever came in contact with her, and her valuable time 
was always at the disposal of any one she could help. 
It is not for me here to dwell on her literary gifts, her 
works speak for themselves. A brilliant and clever con- 
versationalist, she could hold her own with all manner of 
men, and yet, in the more frivolous company which she 
often frequented and thoroughly enjoyed, she never 
talked over people's heads. She had the art of drawing 
every one out and making them appear at their best, so 
different to some clever women writers I have met. I 
recall a luncheon party being wrecked owing to the pres- 
ence of a well-known authoress, who persistently directed 
the conversation on her own subjects, which were as eru- 
dite and pedantic as they were uncongenial to the rest of 
the com25any. 

I always made it a point to go to Mrs. Craigie's plays, 
and we had many discussions about them. In reference 
to "A Repentance," which she asked me to see and 
give my candid opinion upon, she wrote me the follow- 
ing letter: — 

56 Lancaster Gate, W., Wednesday, 1899. 
My dearest Jennie : 

I shall love to hear your honest criticism. The play of course 
is about Spanish Catholics : the man is not meant to be a hero, 
but he is a typical Carlist. The gist of his speeches show the 
political "talk," as it were, of the Period. My object was not to 
display inhuman excellence, but a psychological diagram of the 
Carlist question ! Perhaps this Is too daring an experiment for 

367 



REMINISCENCES OF 

the stage. All the same, the experiment was worth trying. 
Browning, in his dramatic romances, always made a soul's crisis 
(lasting but a few moments) the test of a life. I thought this 
might be done on the stage. Some people love the play : others 
don't like it at all. So long as they admit that it is, at all 
events, carefully composed, I mind nothing else. You are quite 
right — too right, my dear, about the squalid side of literary 
life. Sometimes I get so sick of it that I long to retire to some 
lonely hilltop and meditate on the Four Last Things ! But — 
after all — we cannot make terms with existence: we must culti- 
vate our garden and a sense of humor: and for the rest. Al- 
mighty God and the devil can deal with that. 

Yours ever affectionately. 

Pearl Mary Teresa C. 

I thought the play most interesting, but too con- 
densed. There was tragedy enough in the one act to 
make a substantial play of three. The critics were not 
overkind, and I wrote telling her that the general public 
were much better judges than the ordinary theater critic, 
who was under the delusion that he could make or mar 
any unfortunate playwright with a wave of his pen. 

To this she replied : 

I love your letter. You recognize humanity when it is drawn. 
Des Escas is a man: the Countess is a real Spanish Catholic of 
the devout type. I dared not give the English public two acts 
about "foreigners." They all like "A Repentance," but it is 
against their will. They have no instinctive interest, such as 
we feel, in foreign politics or other races. All the same, the 
play has held its own, and it is well received at every perform- 
ance. Alexander is the one manager in London who will try 
experiments, and he always responds to good art, good music, 

368 




, CRAIGIE (JOHN OLIVER HOBBES1 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

and the like. Remember what the English stage is : the dramatic 
critics are not all educated men like William Archer and Walk- 
ley, the public ai'e patient, the actors mostly amateurs. 

To-morrow I will send you my proposed contribution to your 
Quarterly. Say just what you think of it: the length is under 
9000 words. This ought not to be too long for those pages. 
Poor Stephen Phillips — it is hard indeed for him to have his 
magnificent tragedy published before it is acted. What an out- 
rage it would be if these uneducated pressmen had the jirst fling 
at work of such quality ! 

Yours ever affectionately. 

Pearl Mary Teresa C. 

Again she writes : 

... As for criticism, if one gives work to the general public, 
one has to accept the fate of an "Aunt Sally" so far as the 
journalists are in question. These detest every educated in- 
fluence, particularly on platforms and on the stage. They fear 
the brightening of the average intelligence, for, in the imbecility 
of the mob (well-dressed and otherwise) is the hack journalist's 
strength. But the times are changing rapidly. The mob — as 
a mob — is becoming well read, even philosophical. The press 
in England has less power, and the country more power, every 
day. Mistakes are certainly made in the House of Commons 
(where the average intelligence is not startling) because it is 
assumed that electors and others are mentally afflicted! I see 
much of the laboring classes and the Nonconformist classes ; the 
individuality and independence of each unit in these forces is 
extraordinary. I hold that nothing (either in good sense or 
liigh art) is really beyond them. Where they don't wholly 
comprehend, they are slow in forming judgments. They reject 
nothing hastily. The discipline of their daily lives is the best of 
educations, and, where the so-called lower classes of England are 
concerned, I am full of hope. Our trouble lies with the sham- 

371 



REMINISCENCES OF 

educated — the Bounderbys and lampooners of the press, — the 
"better vulgar" in middle-class life. There 's a jaw for poor 
Jennie with a big Quarterly in tow ! But you will pull it along 
in splendid style. 

Yours ever affectionately, 

P. M. T. C. 

One letter more to show how strenuous her work was. 
Having sent her an allegorical war medal, she replies : 

I am delighted with the Medal, and shall regard it as a trea- 
sure. Few things are so hard to design. The artist has to deal in 
allegory and semi-divine creations at a time when allegory means 
something inexorably dull and every one is exclaiming, "Les 
dieux s'en vont !" Forgive this scribble. I worked for nearly 
fourteen hours straight off at an article for the "Times" people 
— their new edition of the Encyclopaedia, and as a result I have 
a cramped hand. The theme was George Eliot — fortunately an 
interesting one. This vile weather affects me, and I am rather 
furious with myself for giving up the trip to Egypt. But 
actors and actresses need constant encouragement. I wish they 
would remember the words of the immortal Mrs. Chick to Flor- 
ence Dombey : "If any misanthrope were to put in my presence 
the question, 'Why were we born.'" I should reply, 'To make 
an effort.' " 

I am working now at my play (for the Haymarket) and a 
new novel. I propose to take my time over both. . . . 

Ever yours affectionately, 

Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie. 

To her many gifts Mrs. Craigie added that of being 
a very good musician, and her nimble fingers could dis- 
course very effectively. We sometimes played together 

372 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

at concerts, and on one occasion, at the Queen's Hall, 
she and I and Mademoiselle Janotha played Bach's Con- 
certo in D Minor for three pianos, with an orchestra 
from the Royal College of Music, which was conducted 
by Sir Walter Parratt. This was the only time I can 
remember enjoying playing in public. 

In the preface to Mrs. Craigie's last book, Mr. Choate 
says: "In her brief day and generation she contributed 
much by her charming intellectual productions to the 
entertainment and enjoyment of hosts of English and 
American readers, who deeply lament her early death, 
and in whose affections she will hold a permanent place." 
When one remembers that George Eliot began to make 
a great name for herself only at the age at which my 
poor friend's short life came to a close, it is possible to 
prophesy that, had she lived, she would have achieved a 
still greater name and fame for herself. It would have 
been a pity if the "John Oliver Hobbes" generation 
had allowed posterity to forget her brilliant gifts as a 
writer and her noble qualities as a woman and a friend. 
I am glad to think I have been instrumental, with others 
of her friends, in getting up a fitting memorial to her. 
A portrait medallion is now placed in University Col- 
lege in London, where she studied, and a scholarship is 
to be given annually in England. The same scheme has 
been adopted in the United States. 

It is curious how sometimes ''les beaux esprits se ren- 
contrent." Mrs. W. K. Clifford sent me her play "The 
Likeness of the Night" for publication in "The Anglo- 
Saxon Review" before it was put on the stage. Shortly 
after the appearance of the number containing it, Mr. 
Sidney Grundy's play "A Debt of Honor" was given. 

373 



REMINISCENCES OF 

There was no doubt a great similarity between the two, 
and this led to an animated correspondence in the press 
between Mrs. Clifford and Mr. Grundj^ Both parties 
were interviewed, and the literary and dramatic world 
were much interested in the controversy, the details of 
which it is unnecessary for me to dwell on. Mrs. Clif- 
ford, however, having in her first letter said that her 
play was published in "The Anglo-Saxon Review" "for 
all who run and pay a guinea to read," Mr. Grundy re- 
torted: "I do not run, and I did not pay a guinea; nor 
have I met any one who did." This was too much ! Was 
it possible that a literary man existed who had not read 
my review? And worse, did not even know of its ex- 
istence? I at once wrote to Mr. Grundy, regretting that 
such should be the case, and sent him the volume con- 
taining Mrs. Clifford's play. To this he replied that I 
"must perceive that his own ignorance of Mrs. Clifford's 
play would have mattered nothing, if he had met others 
who had told him its story. As a matter of fact, he had 
not." 

The battle ended in peace, and the two plays were 
given with marked success. 

The choice and study of my bindings afforded me the 
greatest pleasure; there was nothing tentative about 
them. I knew they would be a success and please all 
bibliophiles, for most book-lovers are particular about 
the appearance of their books. I remember once lend- 
ing Pierre Loti's "Madame Chrysantheme" to Mr. 
John Morley (now Lord Morley of Blackburn). In 
one of his letters about it he alludes to people's fancies as 
to bindings. 

The first ran : 

374 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Dear Lady Randolph : 

Thank you very much for sending me the book ; I will take it 

in such doses as you prescribe, unless I find it too attractive to 

lav down. ^t- . , 

•^ Yours sincerely, 

J. MORLEY. 

The doses must have been microscopic, for he kept the 
book so long that I wrote to remind him that he still 
had it, and received the following answer : 

95 Elm Park Gardens, 

South Kensington, S. W. 
Dear Lady Randolph : 

It cuts me to the heart that I should have given you cause to 
suspect me of being a book-stealer. I have suffered too much 
from that evil tribe. But I have kept the book so long that I 
am almost as worthy of reprobation as if I had lost it. The 
truth is, that I knew you were away from home, and so I kept it. 
I am shocked to find the dilapidated condition of the poor lady. 
I think, however, she was rather ragged when she reached me. 
I had half a mind to send her to be bound, but I thought you 
might have fancies of your own about bindings, as I have. The 
book will reach you to-morrow. It has amused me very much 
indeed, and I am most grateful to you. 

I am devoted to French literature, but the modern French 

novel is rather too horrid for me, who was reared on George 

Sand. ^T . 1 

Yours sincerely, 

J. Morley. 

In making up each quarterly volume of "The Anglo- 
Saxon Review," I did not find the difficulty I had an- 
'« 375 



REMINISCENCES OF 

ticipated in procuring fitting contributors. The first 
number had estabHshed its reputation, and although crit- 
ics were not wanting, it could rightly claim, on the 
whole, to be keeping up its standard of excellence. I 
aspired high; sometimes too high, as the following let- 
ter shows : 

Walmer Castle, 

Walmer, Kent, July 2, 1899. 
Dear Lady Randolph : 

It would give me great pleasure if I could aid you in any 
way ; but I am not capable of complying with your flattering 
invitation. My allowance of time and energy are only just 
enough to enable me to keep up with my necessary work. I do 
not feel it possible for me to do any literary work. 

Winston made a splendid fight — but the Borough^ bears a 
bad name for fickleness. 

Believe me, 

Yours very truly, 

Salisbury. 

I could hardly expect the Prime Minister, with the 
affairs of the nation weighing on him, to put them on 
one side to please me. "Mais qui ne risque rien n'a rien," 
and one must aim high, even if one falls short. I was 
also disappointed at not getting an article from Mr. 
Cecil Rhodes, who, although not a literary man, could 
speak clearly and with great authority on his own par- 
ticular subjects. 

I first met him in London in the early eighties. He 
was then a handsome young man, but with a delicate 
chest, and was just starting for South Africa, where he 

1 Oldham. 

376 




Tin; Kir,HT HOX. CECIL RIIOUHS 




HIS HOUSE AT CAPE Ti)\VX 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

hoped the wonderful air would cure him. This it did, 
for although he died at a comparatively early age, it was 
not from consumption. I remember once having a most 
interesting conversation with him over his aims and am- 
bitions. His whole soul was bound up in the future and 
progress of South Africa, and although he was not a 
self-seeker in any way, he was justly proud of having 
the immense province of Rhodesia named after him. In 
his heart of hearts he wanted his name to be handed 
down to posterity in this indelible manner, and he would 
have been bitterly disappointed had any other been 
chosen. When I questioned him as to this, he admitted 
it quite frankly. He was, I think, a very happy man, 
for he never allowed small things to worry him, and his 
mind was not encumbered with the subtleties with which 
so many are hampered. A man of big ideas, he knew 
what he wanted, and made for the goal. He was singu- 
larly outspoken. On one occasion, discussing a sculptor, 
he said : 

"Why don't you let the fellow do you? You 've got 
a good square face." These two letters are character- 
istic : 

Vienna, February, 1899. 
Dear Lady Randolph : 

You must think I am very rude, but I only got your letter 
just before starting. It was not the secretary's fault, but it 
got mislaid ; the excuse is that I get about one hundred a day — 
a telegram to me is always the surest. 

I will come and see you if you will let me on my return in 
about three weeks. 

We are getting through to Egypt fairly well. Maguire finds 
that he has to look after and attend to his servants as well as 

379 



REMINISCENCES OF 

himself. I believe that is the usual thing with English servants ; 
they simply collapse and do nothing. 

I am learning the mysteries of bridge, and even with shilling 
points am only 30/ — to the bad. I quite see that it is an assured 
income to a thinking player. Of course the annoyance — I 
would say amusement — is playing badly and seeing your part- 
ner's face ; it sometimes changes their manners. 

Yours, 

C. J. Rhodes. 

I have been treated with great urbanity, in spite of some 
slight mistakes such as revoking, etc. 

BUBT^INGTON HoTEX,, W. 

Dear Lady Randolph : 

I think you will see me on your return from Paris. I will 
try to write something for you on board ship, but do not an- 
nounce it. I shall try to do something to help you and my 
cause, perhaps my cause first and you second, but I shall see 
you again. 

Yours, 

C. J. Rhodes. 

You will have lots of bother, some pleasure, and you will be 
doing something, which is best of all. 

After all, women, remember, have great imagination and a 
much more delicate instinct than my sex, who are rough and 
brutal. I think you should have a fair chance. 

Among many interesting contributions, it was with 
much satisfaction that I received an article from Ber- 
nard Shaw, "A Word more about Verdi," beginning: 
"I have read most of the articles on Verdi elicited 
by his death, and I have blushed— blushed for my spe- 

380 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

cies. By this I mean the music-critic species." He ends 
the article (which is one to prove that Verdi was not in- 
fluenced by Wagner) in this wise: "Certainly, where you 
come to a strong Italian like Verdi, you may be quite 
sure that if you cannot explain him without dragging in 
the great Germans, you cannot explain him at all." 

I venture to disagree with him, as in "Falstaff " I 
think the orchestration is decidedly W^agnerian, com- 
pared to Verdi's other operas, and I remember at the 
time of its appearance it was thought extraordinary that 
a man of seventy could so alter his style. I had met Mr. 
Shaw a few times. He was tall, pale, thin and ascetic- 
looking, with wonderful, transparent eyes ; his conversa- 
tion was unconventional. Some correspondence passed 
between us apropos of a luncheon party to which I in- 
vited him, and which he, to my chagrin, refused ; his re- 
fusal being couched in such Shavian terms that I felt 
justified in answering in the same spirit. 

(Telegram:) 

Certainly not; what have I done to provoke such an attack 
on my well-known habit? 

To which I replied in another telegram : 

'Know nothing of your habits; hope they are not as bad as 
your manners. 

I then received the following letter : 

Be reasonable: what can I do? If I refuse an invitation in 
conventional terms, I am understood as repudiating the ac- 

381 



REMINISCENCES OF 

quaintance of my hostess. If I make the usual excuses, and 
convince her that I am desolated by some other engagement, she 
will ask me again. And when I have excused myself six times 
running, she will conclude that I personally dislike her. Of 
course there is the alternative of accepting; but then I shall 
endure acute discomfort and starvation. I shall not have the 
pleasure of really meeting her and talking to her any more than 
if we happened to lunch at the Savoy on the same day by 
chance. I shall get no lunch, because I do not eat the un- 
fortunate dead animals and things which she has to provide for 
the other people. Of those other people, half will abuse the 
occasion to ask me to luncheons and dinners, and the other half, 
having already spread that net for me in vain, will be offended 
because I have done for you what I would not do for them. I 
shall have to dress myself carefully and behave properly, both 
of which are contrary to my nature. 

Therefore I am compelled to do the simple thing, and wheni 
you say, "Come to lunch with a lot of people," reply flatly, "I 
won't." If you propose anything pleasant to me, I shall reply 
with equal flatness, "I will." But lunching with a lot of people 
— carnivorous people — is not pleasant. Besides, it cuts down 
my morning's work. I won't lunch with you ; I won't dine with 
you ; I won't call on you ; I won't take the smallest part in your 
social routine; and I won't ever know you except on the most 
special and privileged terms, to the utter exclusion of that "lot 
of other people" whose appetites you off'ered me as an entertain- 
ment. Only, if I can be of any real service at any time, that is 
what I exist for ; so you may command me. To which you will 
no doubt reply, "Thank you for nothing; you would say the 
same to anybody." So I would, but it Is a great concession to 
write It at such length to a lady who has bludgeoned me with an 
invitation to lunch. So there ! 

Yours sincerely, 

G. Bernard Shaw. 
382 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Among the many criticisms of "The Anglo-Saxon" the 
one which amused me the most appeared in "The Satur- 
day Review," — a slating article saying among other 
things that it was a swindle to ask people to pay a guinea 
for a book which, however magnificent in appearance, 
was not tooled by hand. This was too much for my 
proprietary pride, and I posted off to the British Mu- 
seum to see my friend Mr. Davenport. "Look at this 
for honest criticism," I cried, flourishing the offending 
journal under his eyes. "What would be the cost if it 
were real leather and tooled by hand?" In view of the 
elaborate binding of that particular volume, he thought 
about £100, if not more. Delighted with my informa- 
tion, I then wrote to the late Lord Hardwicke, who was 
interested in "The Saturday Review," inclosing the criti- 
cism, and begging him to put my facts under the nose 
of his "ignorant reviewer." 

One of the American notices ran : 

It has been given out that no one but the upper ten are to put 
a pen in it. However, Lady Randolph is too shrewd to run a 
periodical for the amusement of the incapables ! 

Again some of the newspapers used me as a form of 
advertisement. 

You pay five dollars for this magazine. It may be good, but 
you can buy "The World" for a cent. 

Then there were some verses which appeared in 
"Books of To-day," from the pen of E. V. Lucas. 

Have you heard of the wonderful magazine 

Lady Randolph 's to edit, with help from the Queen.? 

883 



REMINISCENCES OF 

It 's a guinea a number, too little by half, 

For the Crowned Heads of Europe are all on the staff; 

And every one writing verse, fiction, or views, 

The best blue blood ink must exclusively use ; 

While (paper so little distinction achieves) 

'T will wholly be printed on strawberry leaves ; 

And lest the effusions, so dazzlingly bright. 

And brilliantly witty, should injure the sight, 

A pair of smoked glasses (of ducal design) 

Will go with each copy to shelter the eyne. 

The articles promised already, or written. 

Suggest what a treat is preparing for Britain. 

The Princess of . . . will describe a new bonnet ; 

The Spanish Queen Mother has offered a sonnet, 

Provided that all whom its scansion may beat. 

Will refrain from indelicate mention of feet. 

And the Duchess of . . . has accepted the section 

Devoted to "Babies, their Tricks and Correction." 

The Czar will contribute a fable for geese 

On "Breaking up China and Keeping the Peace" ; 

The Porte sends a batch of seraglio tales. 

And our Prince will review "Mr. Bullen on Whales," 

Mr. Primrose who also has thoughts of the sea, 

Addresses to Captains of every degree, 

A treatise profound, yet delectable too, 

On "How to be Father-in-law to a Crewe" ; 

While WilKam the Second, the ablest of men, 

Will fill every gap with one stroke of his pen. 

And, lest art be slighted 'midst hurry and rush 

Will illustrate all with one flirt of his brush. 



Such, such is a hint of a new magazine 

Lady Randolph will edit, with help from the Queen. 

384 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

It was with the greatest regret that I ceased pubhsh- 
ing "The Anglo-Saxon Review." But circumstances 
over which I had no control obliged me to bring its career 
to an end. No one can be responsible for a publication 
of that kind without having many anxious and annoying 
moments, but I shall always look back with pleasure and 
pride to that period, and to the ten volumes it produced. 
My heart will never forget the gratitude I owe to those 
who worked so efficiently for me and with me. 



385 



CHAPTER XV 

THE DEVONSHIRE HOUSE FANCY-DRESS BAEL— THE OUT- 
BREAK OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR— FORMATION OF 
THE COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL-SHIP 
Jf^7iVL&— DEPARTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA 

RARELY has the London social world been so 
stirred as by the fancy-dress ball given at Devon- 
' shire House, on the 2nd of July, 1897. For 
weeks, not to say months, beforehand, it seemed the prin- 
cipal topic of conversation. The absorbing question was 
what characters our friends and ourselves were going to 
represent. Great were the confabulations and mysteries. 
With bated breath and solemn mien a fair dame would 
whisper to some few dozen or more that she was going to 
represent the Queen of Cyprus or Aspasia, Fredegonde 
or Petrarch's Laura, but the secret must be kept. Histor- 
ical books were ransacked for inspirations, old pictures 
and engravings were studied, and people became learned 
in respect to past celebrities of whom they had never be- 
fore heard. The less well-known the characters, the 
more eagerly were they sought after. "Never heard of 
Simonetta? How curious? but surely you remember 
Botticelli's picture of her — one of the beauties of the 
Florentine court? No? How strange!" 

"My dress is to be 'old Venetian' pink velvet, with gold 
embroideries— one of those medieval women. I can't 

386 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

remember her name; but that 's of no consequence. 
Masses of jewehy, of course." 

The men, oddly enough, were even more excited over 
their costumes than the women, and many paid extrava- 
gant sums for them. There is no doubt that when a man 
begins to think about his appearance, he competes with 
women to some purpose, money, time, and thought being 
of no account to him. On the night of the ball, the ex- 
citement rose to fever heat. Every coiffeur in London 
and Paris was requisitioned, and so busy were they that 
some of the poor victims actually had their locks tortured 
early in the morning, sitting all day in a rigid attitude, 
or, like Agag, "walking delicately." 

Devonshire House, with its marble staircase and glo- 
rious pictures, was a fitting frame for the distinguished 
company which thronged its beautiful rooms. Every 
one of note and interest was there, representing the intel- 
lect, beauty, and fashion of the day, from the present 
King and Queen (then Prince and Princess of Wales) 
dressed respectively as the Grand Prior of the Order of 
St. John of Jerusalem and Marguerite de Valois, to the 
newest Radical member of Parliament, gorgeously at- 
tired as the Great Mogul. The Duchess of Devonshire, 
who looked exceedingly well as Zenobia Queen of Pal- 
myra, and the Duke as the Emperor Charles V received 
on a raised dais at the end of the ball-room the end- 
less procession who passed by, bowing, courtesying, or 
salaaming, according to the characters they represented. 
Princess Pless, lovely as Cleopatra, was surrounded by 
a retinue in Oriental garb, some of whom so far sacri- 
ficed their appearance as to darken their faces. A num- 
ber of the ladies were more becomingly than comfortably 

387 



REMINISCENCES OF 

attired. A charming Hebe, with an enormous eagle 
poised on her shoulder and a gold cup in her hand, made 
a perfect picture, but, alas! in one attitude only, which 
she vainly tried to preserve throughout the evening, 
while the late hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg (Prince 
Alfred of Edinburgh), as the Duke of Normandy, a.d. 
1060, in casque and chain armor, kept his vizor down 
until heat and hunger forced him to sacrifice his martial 
appearance. A beautiful and fascinating duchess, famous 
for her jewels, elected to appear as Charlotte Corday in 

cotton skirt and mob-cap, whereas Lady , trembling 

on the verge of bankruptcy, was covered with gems of 
priceless value. The late Lady Tweedmouth was a 
striking figure as Queen Elizabeth, with eight gigantic 
guardsmen surrounding her, all dressed as yeoman of 
the guard. Many people copied the portraits of their 
ancestors, and Sir John Kaye, in chain mail, represented 
Sir Kaye of the "Morte d'Arthur." Many, too, were 
the heart-burnings over failures or doubles. In one case 
a well-known baronet had been perfecting himself for 
weeks in the role of Napoleon, his face and figure lend- 
ing themselves to the impersonation. But what was his 
dismay at finding in the vestibule a second victor of Aus- 
terlitz even more lifelike and correct than himself. It 
was indeed a Waterloo for both of them. 

Few danced, as in a raree-show of that kind people are 
too much occupied in gazing at one another or in strug- 
gling to play up to their assumed parts. Sometimes this 
was carried further than was intended. Toward the 
close of the ball, two young men disputed over a certain 
fair lady. Both losing their tempers, they decided to set- 
tle the matter in the garden, and pulling out their weap- 

388 




LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL, AS THE BYZANTINE EMPRESS THEODORA, 
AT THE DEVONSHIRE HOUSE FANCY-DRESS BALL 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

ons, they began making passes. But the combatants 
were unequally armed, one being a crusader, with a 
double-handed sword, the other a Louis XV courtier, 
armed with his rapier only. He, as might be expected, 
got the worst of it, receiving a nasty cut on his pink silk 
stocking. Where so many magnificent and exquisite 
dresses were worn, it is invidious to mention names, but 
I remember thinking that the Duchess of Somerset's 
was the most correct and beautiful, with every detail 
carefully carried out, the result being absolutely perfect. 

On the Saturday following this great entertainment 
I went to Kimbolton to stay with the Duchess of Man- 
chester, where most of the company were persuaded to 
don their fancy dress once more. Of course the ball was 
discussed ad nauseam. Many were the divergent opin- 
ions as to who looked the best, the majority giving the 
palm to Lady Westmoreland. 

In the winter of 1898, persistent rumors of war with 
South Africa were prevalent, although few realized how 
soon England was to be plunged into its grim realities. 
At a shooting party at Chatsworth, I remember meeting 
Mr. Chamberlain, then Secretary of State for the Colo- 
nies. One night at dinner we discussed the situation, 
and he frankly told me he considered it inevitable. A 
few months later, hostilities were declared, and great was 
the excitement. But not even the most gloomy of pes- 
simists could have foreseen or imagined the proportions 
the war was going to take, or the length of time it was 
to last. As is well known, it was very unpopular 
with many people, particularly with those who knew 
South Africa well and had lived there ; but in the grow- 
ing enthusiasm their voices were as of "one crying in the 

391 



REMINISCENCES OF 

wilderness," and before long they were dubbed "Pro- 
Boers," or even traitors. 

Mr. Selous,^ writing to me November 5, 1899, said: 

I am terribly depressed about this war. I beheve it to be un- 
just and impohtic, and fraught with the gravest danger to the 
British Empire in the not distant future. By our attitude at 
the time of the Jameson raid, and ever since, we gave the Trans- 
vaal every excuse for arming to resist an attack on their inde- 
pendence. The country was practically unarmed for war with 
an European nation before the Jameson raid; but we now say 
that the Transvaal Government has been arming for many years 
past, with the idea of driving the British out of South Africa. 
What your husband wrote some years ago as to what would have 
happened had we carried on the war and crushed the Transvaal 
Boers in 1881, is singularly applicable to the present situation. 
You know the passage of course, but I will quote it: "Better 
and more precise information combined with cool reflection leads 
me to the conclusion that had the British Government of that 
day taken advantage of its strong military position, and anni- 
hilated, as it could easily have done, the Boer forces, it would 
indeed have regained the Transvaal, but it might have lost Cape 
Colony. The Dutch sentiment in the Colony has been so exas- 
perated by what it considered to be the unjust, faithless, and 
arbitrary policy pursued towards the free Dutchmen of the 
Transvaal that the final triumph of the British arms, mainly by 
brute force, would have permanently and hopelessly alienated it 
from Great Britain." As this war has been entered upon, I 
trust it will soon be brought to a victorious conclusion. That 
is the only chance of peace in the immediate future, and there is 
a possibility that by good government and a conciliatory and 
sympathetic attitude towards the conquered Boers, we may 

^Mr. Frederick Courtney Selous, author of several books on travel 
and hunting adventures in South Africa. 

392 




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LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

gradually wear away any ideas they may have of another war of 
independence a generation hence. But I have little hopes for 
the future. My views are of course very unpopular in this 
country just now, and I am freely called a traitor, etc., and 
have lost many old friends. 

A few days later he wrote again : 

. . . Now that the war has broken out in South Africa, no 
Englishman, I think, can wish for anything else than complete 
and absolute victory for our arms. I hope and I believe that 
soon after all our forces now on their way to South Africa have 
arrived there. Sir Redvers Buller will be able to overcome all 
opposition, so that our Government can dictate its own terms 
of peace. Should those terms of peace bear out Lord Salis- 
bury's statement that the British Government seeks to gain 
neither gold-fields nor territory by this war, then every honest 
Englishman will support the Government, but not otherwise. 
I wish I could persuade myself that this war was just and neces- 
sary, and would bring honor to England and lasting benefit to 
the Empire ; but I cannot believe any of these things. The 
Jameson raid was, though a seeming failure, in reality a mag- 
nificent success ; for the Jameson raid caused the Transvaal and 
the Orange Free State to arm, and the arming of these States — 
the menace to British supremacy in South Africa, as it was 
called — is what has really brought about this war. ... I long 
to go out to South Africa and offer my services to Lord 
Methuen, whom I know well; but yet cannot do so because of 
the views I hold as to the real causes of the war, and because I 
don't see how, holding the views I do, I could bring myself to 
raise my rifle against men from whom I have received nothing 
but kindness, and the vast majority of whom are patriots fight- 
ing for the independence of their country, which they believe to 
have been unjustly assailed by Mr. Chamberlain. 

395 



REMINISCENCES OF 

That Mr. Selous' pessimistic views as regards the 
Transvaal have not been fulfilled must be a great joy to 
him, as it is to all those who have the welfare of Soutli 
Africa at heart. There is no doubt that the policy which 
he advocated of "a good Government and a conciliatory 
and sympathetic attitude towards the conquered Boers," 
which has been followed by the present Liberal Admin- 
istration, has brought about the existing happy state of 
affairs. One sometimes wonders what would now be the 
condition of South Africa had the late Conservative 
government remained in power and carried out their 
proposed measures. But this is by the way. 

In moments of great stress and struggle, inactivity 
becomes a positive pain. The people who were the most 
to be pitied during the war were, as a friend wrote to me 
at the time, those who had to remain at home. "It is like 
being in a country house, and seeing day after day other 
guests going out to hunt, while compelled oneself to 
remain indoors. I know nothing so depressing." Peo- 
ple feeling this, every sort of movement was soon set on 
foot for raising funds to alleviate the miseries of the 
sick and wounded. Every one became interested and 
occupied in some scheme. 

One day in October I received a visit from Mrs. Blow, 
an American lady who had lived for some time in Aus- 
tralia. The object of her visit was to suggest the idea 
of an American hospital-ship to be sent out to South 
Africa. I confess the project did not strike me as prac- 
tical, and for some days I gave it no thought. Happen- 
ing, however, to meet Sir William Garstin (of Egyptian 
fame), I discussed it with him, and he strongly advised 
me to take it up. "Believe me," he said, "you will be 

396 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

making history apart from the excellence of the work." 
Then and there I made up my mind to do it. 

On October 25, 1899, the first committee meeting was 
held at my house, at which a number of my compatriots 
attended. Mrs. Blow was made honorary secretary, 
Mrs. Ronalds treasurer, and I was elected chairman, and 
subsequently Mrs. Adair was made vice-chairman. A 
large and influential general committee was formed.^ 
All worked with zeal and enthusiasm, and soon the whole 
thing was well in train. There was a general impression 
that the war would be short and sharp. Hospitals of all 
kinds were greatly needed, and we hurried with feverish 
activity. Funds and a ship — those were our two great 
and immediate occupations. No stone was left unturned 
to procure money— much money, and it had to be all 
American money. It would be useless to deny here the 
fact that the war was viewed with disfavor by my coun- 
trymen. They had a fellow-feeling for the Boer, fight- 
ing, as they thought, for his independence. But the plea 
of humanity overran their political opinions, and the 
fund once started, money poured in. A resolution car- 
ried at the meeting of the executive committee was em- 
bodied in our appeal to the public : 

That whereas Great Britain Is now involved in a war affect- 
ing the rights and liberties of the Anglo-Saxon people in South 

1 Executive Committee of the American Hospital Ship Maine : Lady 
Randolph Churchill (Chairman); Mrs. Adair (Vice-Chairraan); Mrs. Blow 
(Hon. Secretary); Mrs. Ronalds (Hon. Treasurer); The Duchess of Marl- 
borough ; Lily, Duchess of Marlborough ; The Countess of Essex ; Mrs. 
Bradley- Martin; Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain; Mrs. Earle; Mrs. Field; Mrs. 
Moreton Frewen; Mrs. Hugh Reid Griffin; Mrs. Haldeman; Mrs. Leslie; 
Mrs. Arthur Paget; Mrs. Taylor; Mrs. Van Duzer; Mrs. Ralph Vivian; 
Madame Von Andre. 

^^ 399 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Africa, and has under arms 70,000 troops to maintain such 
rights and Hberties, 

And whereas the people of Great Britain have, by their sym- 
pathy and moral support, materially aided the people of the 
United States of America in the war in Cuba and the Philippine 
Islands ; it is therefore resolved: 

That the American women in Great Britain, whilst deploring 
the necessity for war, shall endeavor to raiscj among their com- 
patriots, here and in America, a fund for the relief of the sick 
and wounded soldiers and refugees in South Africa. It is pro- 
posed to despatch immediately a suitable hospital ship, fully 
equipped with medical stores and provisions, to accommodate 
200 people, with a staff of four doctors, five nurses, and forty 
non-commissioned officers and orderlies. 

To carry the above resolution into effect, the sum of $150,000 
(£30,000) will be required. 

Concerts, matinees, and entertainments of all sorts 
and kinds were organized. Large fii-ms of many nations 
contributed their specialties, until the amount of medical 
comforts became so great that we found some difficulty 
in storing them. 

Checks and gifts from two shillings to c£lOOO were 
given to us by private persons, whose generosity seemed 
to know no bounds. On the other hand, we sometimes 
met with rebuffs, notably in the case of an American 
multimillionaire to whom I cabled, asking for a sub- 
scription for the hospital. He replied that he had "no 
knowledge of the scheme." The press by that time both 
in England and the United States was full of our enter- 
prise. I cabled back, "Read the papers," but this, alas! 
did not mitie his purse-strings. Another, whose gene- 
rosity in the shape of libraries we thought a good omen, 

400 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

also refused. Some of his workmen, however, subscribed 
£500. 

We had asked for £30,000 but eventually received 
£41,597, which, it must be admitted, was a noble sum to 
raise in two months, particularly under the circum- 
stances. 

Our researches and inquiries respecting a suitable ves- 
sel were not at first crowned with success. We were 
particularly anxious to secure an American ship if possi- 
ble, and cabled to Mr. Roosevelt, then Governor of New 
York, to know if he could help us in the matter. Unfor- 
tunately, he could not suggest anything. Had we but 
known it, owing to the large sum collected, a good liner 
might have been hired, which would have served our 
purpose admirably. As it was we were in a quandary, 
when the offer came through the chairman of the At- 
lantic Transport Company to lend us the Maine. 

At the outbreak of the South African War this com- 
panj^ offered the Maine to the English Government for 
service as a hospital ship ; the captain and crew were to 
be maintained at the company's expense during such 
time as the ship was in use. The Government accepted 
the offer; but the ship being a cattle boat, and the ex- 
pense of fitting her out as a hospital ship being very 
great, the Admiralty had taken no steps to alter her up 
to the time when the American Ladies' Committee was 
formed. Mr. Bernard Baker, President of the com- 
pany, hearing of our committee and its aims, generously 
proposed to the Admiralty to hand over the Maine to us 
to fit out. The Admiralty agreed. The committee took 
over the ship from the Government on the same terms. 
This arrangement pleased all parties. 

401 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Our chief difficulty was ignorance of the requirements 
of such a hospital. Compared with it, the many field 
hospitals which were being organized were easy matters 
to arrange, for every detail was already laid down by the 
Army Medical Department. It is true that four or five 
other ships were being equipped for the same purpose, 
but I imagine they found themselves equally embar- 
rassed. There was no precedent that one could go upon 
in England of a properly constituted floating hospital 
for war-times. 

In vain I haunted the precincts of the Army and Red 
Cross Medical departments, they were of little help in the 
way of advice. Taken au depourvu, they themselves 
did not know which way to turn, their resources being 
strained to the utmost limit. However, they supplied 
us with a certain number of men from the St. John Am- 
bulance Brigade, who, owing to their training and mili- 
tary discipline, were of the greatest use and comfort on 
board. 

The Atlantic Transport Company luckily proved 
more helpful, as, having already, during the Cuban war, 
equipped and given the twin-ship of the Maine, the Mis- 
souri, to the American Government, they had a certain 
amount of experience. We were determined that the 
staff of doctors and nurses should be American. Mrs. 
Whitelaw Reid was communicated with in New York, 
and with her knowledge of nursing and her connection 
with the Mills School, which her father, Mr. D. O. Mills, 
had founded, was able to send us out a most efficient 
staff of doctors, nurses, and orderlies. 

During October and November the committee met al- 
most daily. I shall always look back to that time as per- 

402 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

haps the most absorbing of my life. The gloom and 
terrible depression which had settled on London at the 
unexpected reverses to the British arms did not affect us, 
and the daily accounts of horrors and sufferings only 
doubled our activity. We had no time for tears. All 
our thoughts were centered in that small cattle boat 
which was to be converted by our efforts and the gene- 
rosity of our compatriots into a haven of rest and comfort 
where some of the terrible suffering could be alleviated. 

The Maine Committee worked with such will and fire 
that they carried all before them. The War Office and 
the Admiralty were badgered and heckled : Would they 
supply us with this? Would they guarantee us that? 
We would not take "No" as an answer. Our cause was 
a righteous one, and we did not mind being importunate. 

Nothing could exceed the kindness of Lord Lans- 
downe, then Minister of War. He helped us in every 
possible manner, waiving aside all red-tape, as he real- 
ized how anxious we were to get our ship under way. 
Indeed, it was greatly owing to him and the late Lord 
Goschen, the First Lord of the Admiralty, that our ef- 
forts were crowned with success. 

On the 12th of November, we held our first general 
committee. It was wdth conscious pride that I was able 
to point out that although the scheme had been in exist- 
ence only a little more than a fortnight, we already had a 
ship, a magnificent staff, hundreds of gifts, sympathizers 
working for us in every part of the globe, and, what was 
even more important, £15,000. I confess that I had a 
suspicion that some of those present criticized the policy 
which necessitated the sending of so many gallant sol- 
diers to the front. But with this policy we had nothing to 

403 



REMINISCENCES OF 

do. My friend Mrs. Craigie (John Oliver Hobbes), 
writing to me at the time, said: "The wounded are the 
womided, irrespective of creed or nationahty." This I 
quoted with much effect to the meeting ; also the trite 
saying that "deeds were better than words," adding that 
the Maine would probably do more to cement the friend- 
ship between England and America than ^.ny amount of 
flag-waving and pleasant amenities. 

Although the Maine was an American hospital-ship, 
it was very important for its welfare that we should have 
it under the gegis of the British Government. There 
were many privileges which they alone could give us. It 
was also absolutely necessary for our proper status that 
we should be recognized as a military hospital-ship and 
that our principal medical officer should be an English- 
man of such standing in the army as to give him ample 
authority. On this subject we did not at first get much 
encouragement from headquarters. In a letter to me, 
Lord Wolseley, the commander-in-chief, deprecated the 
idea, and rather hinted that as we were going to be so in- 
dependent, we had better be entirely so. But later he 
changed his mind, and wrote : 

I am only too anxious to help you in this matter to show you 
how thoroughly our army, and indeed the nation, appreciate 
this evidence of the interest that American ladies take in our 
sick and wounded. 

Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel Hensman, A.M.D., late 
of the 2nd Life Guards, was eventually chosen for us, 
and we never had cause to regret the choice, for to a 
sense of duty he added tactful and courteous manners. 

404 



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LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

It was no easy matter to control men of two nationali- 
ties, for although they were united in a common cause, 
English and Americans have different ideas and meth- 
ods, and it is a lasting credit to the ship that there never 
were any serious differences on board. 

The arrival of the American staff from New York 
occasioned much excitement and interest not only to the 
committee, but in all circles. Hotels vied with one an- 
other to offer them accommodation at very reduced rates 
pending the departure of the ship to South Africa. 
Indeed, they were lionized, luncheons and dinner-par- 
ties and every sort of entertainment being given them, 
including one organized by the matrons and nurses of 
the London hospitals. They were invited to Windsor, 
where, after viewing the state and private apartments 
and having luncheon, they were personally presented to 
Queen Victoria by H. R. H. Princess Christian, whose 
interest in hospital matters is well known. Her Majesty 
was deeply interested, wishing them God-speed on their 
errand of mercy. She added: "I am very pleased to see 
you, and I want to say how much I appreciate your 
kindness in coming over to take care of my men." Be- 
fore returning to London, the staff had tea with Princess 
Christian at Cumberland Lodge, thus getting an oppor- 
tunity of seeing the Great Park as they drove through it. 

Two days later I was bidden to dine and sleep at 
Windsor, and had a most interesting conversation with 
the Queen about the war. Her Majesty asked me 
many questions about the Maine, and spoke of the visit 
of the surgeons and nurses, whom she professed to be 
very pleased with; but said, "I think the surgeons look 
very young." "All the more energetic, therefore," I 

407 



REMINISCENCES OF 

hoped. The Queen was full of inquiries about my sis- 
ter-in-law, Lady Sarah Wilson, who was then reported to 
be a prisoner in the hands of the Boers. "They will not 
hurt her," she said, with a charming smile. 

The next day Mrs. Ronalds and Mrs. Blow came to 
the Castle to be personally thanked for their work. I 
was asked to present them to the Queen, and felt very 
proud of my handsome countrywomen as they came for- 
ward with that self-possession and grace which seems in- 
herent in them. 

On the 17th of November I was paying a visit to some 
friends in the country, intending to go to London next 
day for a great fete at Claridge's Hotel on behalf of the 
Maine, when in the middle of the night I was awakened 
by the following telegrams : 

I regret to inform you that Mr. Winston Churchill has been 
captured by the Boers. He fought gallantly after an armored 
train in which he was traveling was trapped. 

Signed, Editor of the Morning Post. 

The second came from the late Mr. Oliver Borthwick, 
a great personal friend of ours, at that time sub-editor 
to the same paper, of which his father. Lord Gleneck, 
was proprietor : 

Deeply regret Winston reported captured by Boers; no 
mention of his being wounded. He not only displayed great 
personal bravery, carrying the wounded to safety, but by his 
coolness and bravery encouraged the others. Our corre- 
spondent says later : "Churchill, with bravery, coolness described 
as magnificent, got party men clear of overturned train, sub- 
sequently fighting with Dublins and Natal Volunteers, covering 
retreat of engineers." 

408 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

My feelings may be imagined, and I passed some ter- 
ribly anxious moments. Had it not been for the ab- 
sorbing occupation of the Mainej I cannot think how I 
could have got through that time of suspense. Among 
shoals of telegrams, I received the following from the 
Empress Eugenie, which touched me very much. 

Farnborough : 

Prends bien part a vos inquietudes; espere aurez bientot 
nouvelle. 

Signed, Comtesse Pierrefonds. 

The committee were very desirous that President Mc- 
Kinley should give us the American flag we intended to 
fly on our hospital ship, and accordingly I cabled, asking 
him to do so, adding that it would carry no political sig- 
nificance. After some delay there came an answer 
through Secretary Hay, to the effect that the President 
thought it would not do for him to present a flag to 
the ship, as his "motives might be misconstrued." I 
cabled again: "Would not red cross on flag remove 
difficulty? Wounded are to be tended irrespective of 
nationality." But I suppose the pro-Boer feeling was 
running too high in America, for my request was again 
refused. 

Meanwhile I had enlisted the kind offices of the Duke 
of Connaught to ask the Queen to give us a Union Jack, 
and never doubting that we should secure the Stars and 
Stripes from the President, I mentioned the fact to His 
Royal Highness. A few days later I received the fol- 
lowing letter: 

409 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Bagshot Park, Surrey, Dec. 4th, 1899. 
Dear Lady Randolph : 

I am happy to be able to tell you that the Queen has con- 
sented to present a Union Jack to the Hospital Ship Maine as 
a mark of her appreciation of the generosity of those American 
ladies who have so nobly come forward, and have at such great 
expense equipped a hospital ship for wounded British officers 
and men. I hope to be able to bring the flag down with me on 
the 16th, and to present it in the Queen's name. The Duchess 
and I have accepted to dine at the Carlton on the 17th to meet 
you all, and I understand the nurses, too. 

Hoping you got your telegram through to Pretoria. 

Believe me. 

Yours very sincerely, 

Arthur. 



The refusal from Washington placed me in rather an 
awkward position, as the Queen in presenting a flag, was 
under the impression that the President was doing the 
same. Under the circumstances, I thought the best 
policy was to preserve a judicious silence, and the Ameri- 
can flag was not mentioned. On the appointed day the 
Queen's present of a huge Union Jack, embellished 
in the center with the red cross on a white ground was 
duly hoisted. This ceremony was attended with all the 
eclat we could ensure for it. The Duke and Duchess of 
Connaught, Princess Louise (Marchioness of Lome), 
and a number of distinguished people came to the lunch- 
eon and witnessed the presentation. 

The Duke of Connaught made a most felicitous 
speech, which delighted us all. In the name of her 

410 



.if 




LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Majesty the Queen, he presented the Union Jack to the 
hospital-ship 3Iaine 

... as a mark of her appreciation of the generosity of those 
who have found the money, for this ship, and also of that charity 
which a large number of American ladies and gentlemen have 
shown toward the soldiers of her kin, speaking their own lan- 
guage, who are now fighting gallantly in South Africa. It is 
a great pleasure to me to have been asked to perform what I 
believe is a unique ceremony. Never before has a ship sailed 
under the combined flags of the Union Jack and the Stars and 
Stripes ; and it marks, I hope, an occasion which brings out 
that feeling of generosity and affection that the two countries 
have for each other. I cannot sufficiently thank those who have 
come forward in such a liberal manner for what they have done. 
As an officer in the English Army, I feel, I can assure you, most 
deeply what you all have done for us this day, and I am sure 
that the officers and men who may reap the advantage of this 
well-equipped ship will bless those who have done so much to- 
wards it. I should like to mention many names, but I am afraid 
it is impossible, and I will therefore ask Lady Randolph 
Churchill to accept in the name of all those who have worked 
with her the thanks both of the Sovereign of our country and 
of all English men and women for this splendid present which 
has been made in aid of our wounded soldiers in South Africa. 

To this I replied: 

Your Royal Highness, I beg to thank you in the name of my 
committee for your kindness in coming here to-day to present 
on behalf of her Majesty the Queen, her gracious gift of the 
Union Jack to the American ladies' hospital-ship Maine. I 
trust your Royal Highness will convey to her Majesty how 
deeply we feel honored by this kind and thoughtful act, which 

413 



REMINISCENCES OF 

we look upon as an acknowledgment and appreciation of our 
efforts. It is a source of much gratification to us Americans 
that our compatriots have responded so generously to our call 
on behalf of the sick and wounded, enabling us by their sympa- 
thy and money to fit out this splendid ship. We have also had 
many donations from English people who have come forward 
most lavishly with their gifts. Indeed, all who have been inter- 
ested in this work have made it a labor of love. We hope that 
the Maine will be more than useful on her errand of mercy, and 
that our charity will be as wide-spread as possible irrespective 
of nationality. 

The flag was then fastened to a halyard and run up by 
the Duke to the mainmast, where, after an energetic pull 
or two, it flew out to the breeze, the band of the Scots 
Guards playing "Rule Britannia." This they quickly 
changed to the "Star-Spangled Banner" as the Stars 
and Stripes were run up to the mizzen, and the Red- 
Cross flag to the foremast. With the Admiralty's trans- 
port flag at the helm, it is not surprising that we felt 
much be-flagged and bedecked. It was a great moment 
for us all, and I confess I felt a lump in my throat. We 
had had an anxious moment in the morning when the 
Bishop of London, who was to have blessed the flag, tele- 
graphed suddenly that he was too ill to come. London 
was scoured to find a divine to take his place; fortu- 
nately we secured the Bishop of Islington. But he, too, 
gave us a scare, as he missed his train and barely arrived 
in time. 

On the 23rd of December, the Maine sailed for Cape 
Town. I had made up my mind some time previously 
to go with her, feeling that the committee should be 
represented by a person of authority without a salary. 

414 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Although the morning broke dark and foggy, I started 
with a hght heart, as I had heard the day before that 
my son Winston, after escaping from Pretoria, where 
he had been a prisoner after the armor train disaster at 
Chieveley, was safe at Lorenzo Marquez. The news 
was first conveyed to me through the telephone from the 
office of the "Morning Post," for which paper he had 
been acting as war correspondent. All I could hear was 
"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted by different voices, as one 
after another seized the instrument in their kind wish to 
congratulate me. 

To say that the ship was in a state of chaos does not 
express it. On the Sunday before 10,000 people had 
visited her, which did not help to keep the new paint im- 
maculate. The decks were covered with mud from the 
boots of the numerous workmen; painters, carpenters, 
plumbers, and engineers were seen in every nook and 
corner putting on the last touches, the wards were lit- 
tered with wood-shavings, paint-pots, ropes, scaffold- 
ings, and the thousand and one kind of debris which the 
conversion of a cattle boat entails. With my friend 
Miss Eleanor Warrender, who was going out with me, 
I stood on the deck as the vessel moved out of the docks, 
leaving family and friends behind. A gleam of sun 
shone on us for a moment as those on shore burst into 
cheers, which were taken up by the crews of the ships 
which lay alongside. "Mind you bring home Kruger, 
and we '11 eat him," and a few similar recommendations, 
came from grimy colliers, but these cries were soon lost 
in the black fog which settled down upon us. Although, 
owing to it, we got only as far as the outer basin, we felt 
we had started on our journey. 

415 



CHAPTER XVI 

SOUTH AFRICA— LIFE ON THE HOSPITAL-SHIP MAINE 

CAPE TOWN— A REMARKABLE HAIL-STORM— DURBAN 
— SOME RED-TAPE— WAR SCENES— VISIT TO CHIEVELEY 
CAMP— RELIEF OF LADYSMITH. 

ON my journey to South Africa in January, 
1899, in the hospital-ship Maine, I had antici- 
pated a certain amount of rough weather in the 
Bay of Biscay, but was not prepared to meet a full gale 
lasting six days, and which according to the authorities 
was the worst experienced for many years. To en- 
counter this in midwinter, in a comparatively small ship, 
fitted up as a hospital, with large hatchways and sky- 
lights, and with inadequate means of battening down, 
was, it must be admitted, something of a trial. In- 
deed we lay to forty-eight hours, adding to our 
physical misery the knowledge that we were making 
no headway. Even to good sailors the weariness of 
being buffeted from morning till night, and the impos- 
sibility of doing anything unless entrenched in a sort of 
zereba, is most trying. To eat under such circumstances 
one requires to be a Cinquevalli: no fiddles can restrain 
your soup from being shot into your lap, or the contents 
of your glass into your face. To those who are not 
"Ancient Mariners" the horrors of the situation will 
appeal sympathetically. I never realized before how 

416 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

one can suffer by color. The green of my attractive 
little cabiri, which I had thought so reposeful, became 
a source of acute suffering, and I had to find a neutral- 
tinted cushion on which to rest my eyes. The sound of 
the waves breaking on the deck with the report of can- 
non-balls brought to my mind our mission, and I re- 
member thinking, as I rolled in sleepless wretchedness, 
that if we went to the bottom, at least we should be 
counted as victims of the war. 

Besides the inclemency of the weather, the ship was 
in the greatest confusion, owing to the vast amount of 
goods overcrowding the holds, and to a mass of articles 
brought on board at the last moment. This proved a 
serious obstacle to getting the vessel in order, and for a 
time all was in chaos. I will not dwell on the discom- 
forts, I may even say hardships, ex^^erienced more or less 
by all. January 2, late in the evening, we anchored off 
Las Palmas, and with a sigh of relief told each other the 
worst was now over. In the morning ]VIr. Swanston, the 
British Consul, and Captain Wintz, of H.M.S. Furious^ 
who had been on the lookout for us for days, came on 
board, bringing the latest news and fresh flowers. The 
news was scanty: General French had occupied Coles- 
berg, and there had been a fresh attack on Maf eking. 
Otherwise the situation was unchanged. We went on 
shore feeling giddy and battered, coming across in the 
harbor the wrecked transport Denton Grange, which 
had run ashore with three other vessels during the gale. 
The water was pouring through her hold, and all the 
engines were hopelessly ruined. We had a talk with 
some of her dejected officers, who were living on board. 

Armed with cameras and long lists of purchases, we 

417 



REMINISCENCES OF 

lunched at the Catahna Hotel, a pretty house with low 
verandas covered with bougainvilleas of different 
shades. The air was soft and balmy, and many English 
visitors were lounging about, looking, if slightly bored, 
peaceful and comfortable. Our friends provided us 
with a carriage and pair in which we crawled through 
the two feet of mud of the one long principal street of 
the town. I was reminded of Monterey, California — 
there were the same square pink houses with green shut- 
ters and a center court or patio, tropical vegetation, and 
the sea at the door. But here the comparison ends, for 
Las Palmas is merely pretty, whereas Monterey with its 
seventeen-mile ocean drive, unparalleled gardens and 
unique storm-swept cypress groves overlooking the 
ocean, is perhaps one of the most beautiful spots in the 
world. 

Excited and delighted with our day, we returned to 
the ship laden with spoils — birds, parrots, fruit, plants, 
coffee-pots, and much else. I had an opportunity of 
judging of the appearance of the Maine as we came 
alongside. Alas ! the brilliant green stripe denoting our 
status as a military hospital-ship was a thing of shreds 
and patches, many of our stanchions were bent and 
twisted, and our would-be immaculate white paint was 
a foggy gray. 

The seventeen days of our journey to Cape Town were 
busy ones; we were spared monotony by the work of 
getting the wards in order, and rescuing our hundreds 
of donations from the chaos of the hold. In the hurry 
of departure many things had been forgotten, and many 
were put anywhere to be out of the way. We had very 
little time in which to appear shipshape before arriving. 

418 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

The surgeons, sisters and medical staff generally were 
assigned to their different wards, which reechoed with 
"Be kind enough not to walk through my ward"; "Be 
good enough to keep your wet feet off my clean rubber" ; 
"Pray take your things off my beds," and the like. 

After crossing the line the evenings were spent in 
star-gazing at the Southern Cross. But I confess I felt 
no keenness, having seen it often before, and I thought 
its beauty a delusion. At first we met no ships, and the 
absence of news was very trying. After a few days, 
however, we sighted a small steamer and instantly bore 
down on her, signaling for intelligence. What we got 
was: "Buller crossed Tugela. Ladysmith rumored re- 
lieved. Continued fighting" — virtually no news, and 
we were fain to hold our souls in patience till our arrival 
in Cape Town, on the 23rd of January. 

Cape Town, with its bay full of transports disembark- 
ing troops, the feverish activity of its docks, and its 
streets crowded with khaki-clad soldiers, seemed indeed 
the real thing. My first impression of the bay at 6 a.m. 
with innumerable vessels and forests of masts, the clouds 
breaking on Table Mountain, and the rising sun turning 
all into a pink glory, will not soon fade from my 
memory. Though worn and tired, and realizing that 
our work was all before us, we rejoiced to be in measura- 
ble distance of it. As we were rolling about outside the 
breakwater, by the kindness and exertions of Sir 
Edward Chichester who was in charge of the port, we 
were given a berth inside. As soon as possible I started 
off to see the Governor, Sir Alfred (now Lord) Milner, 
to get my letters and telegrams and gather what news I 
could. This was very meager. I have since ascertained 
2« 419 



REMINISCENCES OF 

that Lord Kitchener's first order to all officers was to 
practise the utmost discretion, and that any information 
as to war news was strictly forbidden. This was owing 
to the mass of spies and the disloyalty in Cape Town, 
much valuable information being continually trans- 
mitted to the enemy. The Standard Bank was an amaz- 
ing sight of bustling activity, men in every variet}'^ of 
khaki-colored clothes, trousers, breeches, puttees, gait- 
ers, sombreros, helmet and field-service caps, rushing in 
and out all day, till one wondered at the patience and 
civility of the employees. The entire staiF of the Maine 
were invited to a reception at the Mount Nelson Hotel, 
given in their honor by a committee of American ladies. 
It was pleasant enough to walk in the pretty garden, 
eating strawberries — and a marked contrast to the 
melancholy which prevailed at Government House, 
where I dined that evening. 

The day of our arrival the principal medical officer 
came on board and after visiting the ship, informed us 
that we were at once to be sent to Durban to fill up with 
patients and return to England. I remonstrated and 
explained to him the purpose and mission of the ship, 
pointing out the fact that were it to be treated merely 
as a transport for convalescents the international value 
of the gift would certainly suffer, and the large, ex- 
pensive and efficient medical staff on board would have 
nothing to do and would be greatly disappointed, as of 
course interesting serious cases were not likely to be sent 
us. I pressed the point so much that at last he said the 
ship had better get orders from General BuUer on ar- 
rival at Durban. On our arrival there the authorities 
came on board and told us we were to be fiilled up with 

420 




FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS INSPECTING THE MAIXE AT CAPE TOWN 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

drafts from the other hospital-ships and sent home at 
once. But with the help and influence of the Govern- 
ment of Natal, Sir Redvers Buller and other influential 
friends, I am happy to say I was able s-uccess fully to 
frustrate three times these endeavors to send us back. 
The Maine not only remained in the harbor of Dur- 
ban but had many interesting cot cases sent down. 
The absence of news was making every one desperately 
anxious. 

We had been asked by the Cape Town authorities to 
leave on the 25th for Durban. Although the notice was 
short, giving us only a couple of days after the long sea 
voyage of nearly a month, we were rather pleased to be 
able to say "Yes," and prove our readiness. A few 
hours after receiving our orders, however, Lord Roberts 
sent word that he wished to visit the ship on the follow- 
ing day. Accordingly he came, and gave us a thorough 
inspection: wards, mess rooms, dispensary, operating 
room, everything was visited and much approved of. 
The only thing wanting to prove our efliciency was beds 
filled with the wounded. Before starting five civil sur- 
geons and eight army reserve sisters were added to our 
number, the medical authorities having asked us to take 
them to Durban, their ultimate destination being Mooi 
River. They proved very troublesome on the journey, 
being indeed as exigeant as they appeared ignorant. 
One or two of the nurses actually brought maids to look 
after them! I did not envy the hospitals which were to 
benefit by their services. 

It was no surprise to us to repeat some of our Bay of 
Biscay experiences, as we knew there would be a heavy 
ground swell all the way. Later, however, the sea be- 

423 



REMINISCENCES OF 

came comparatively calm, and we emerged to bask in 
the sun like lizards. I gazed for hours through my 
glasses at the shore, which was only three or four miles 
distant. The soft green hills and bright sandy beaches, 
with kraals dotted here and there, gave it such a culti- 
vated appearance that one could hardly realize this was 
"Savage South Africa." As we approached Durban, 
the wind began to blow, and an ominous bank of gray 
cloud came up, with lightning flashing on the horizon. 
I shall never forget the astonishing storm which sud- 
denly burst upon us. The electric barometer in my 
cabin dropped perpendicularly. Torrents of hailstones 
beat down on us as large as small plums, the wind in- 
creased to a hurricane, and was so violent that the ship 
stood still, although we had been going at ten knots. The 
awning aft was violently blown into the sea, carrying 
with it all its rafters and stanchions, smashing one of the 
big ventilators, and only just missing some of the sisters 
who were crouching on the deck. The sea meanwhile 
presented a most curious appearance, being covered 
with millions of little jets about a foot high, due to the 
force with which the hailstones fell, and as they floated 
for a while, in a few minutes it was quite white. Inside 
my deck cabin the din was terrific, the noise of the hail- 
stones striking the skylight and windows with .a sound 
like bullets. It was impossible to speak. One win- 
dow was smashed and the water and ice poured in every- 
where. The hailstones had a pattern like agate. With the 
decks covered with ice, the thermometer at 82 degrees 
seemed an anomaly, and reminded one of the Scotchman 
•who during a rainstorm threw out his rising barometer, 
shouting after it, "Go and see for yourself." Luckily 

424 




LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL AND HER SON, MR. JOHN CHURCHILL, 
ON BOARD THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL-SHIP MAINE 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

the storm did not last long, and we were soon able to 
emerge and look at the damage. 

On the afternoon of the 29th we came in sight of 
Durban, the pride and glory of the Garden Colony. 
We rejoiced in the thought that we should soon be rest- 
ing our tired eyes on the trees and flowers of the beau- 
tiful Berea, and be initiated into the delights of the 
unknown fruits the guide-books dilated on. Here, too, 
in the "active zone" our real work was to begin, and all 
were keen and eager. 

By this time the inhabitants of the Maine could boast 
sea-legs and, notwithstanding the heavy swell, we did 
not mind being told that we should have to remain out- 
side the harbor all night. Thirsting for news, however, 
my younger son, who had come with us from Cape 
Town to join the South African Light Horse in Natal, 
started off with one of the ship's officers in a steam- 
launch for the harbor and shore, little knowing that the 
penalty for crossing the bar was £100, and still less 
that, owing to the heavy sea, a small boat had no chance 
of getting safely over. Luckily they were hailed by a 
tug, with a midshipman on board from H.M.S. Terri- 
ble^ who was the bearer of a message to me from the 
commandant. Captain (now Admiral Sir) Percy Scott, 
to the eiFect that my son Winston was in Durban, hav- 
ing come on two days' leave to meet me, and that there 
was no fresh news, or change in the military situation. 
This seemed inexplicable, as when we left Cape Town 
the air was full of the wildest rumors, crucial develop- 
ments being expected hourly. Ladysmith, however, 
had neither fallen nor been relieved. The enemy's big 
guns were firing away with the same monotonous regu- 

427 



REMINISCENCES OF 

larity, and the list of reverses was being steadily in- 
creased. 

Pending the arrival of patients and longing for a few 
days' rest, I availed myself of a kind invitation from the 
Governor of Natal, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, to go 
to Pietermaritzburg. Miss Eleanor Warrender and my 
two boys went with me, all being duly armed with passes 
and permissions sent us by the commandant. This made 
me realize that we were under martial law, and that no one 
could travel or be abroad after eleven o'clock at night 
without official*permission. Two very pleasant and re- 
poseful days were spent at Pietermaritzburg, but it was 
hard to say good-by to my sons, who left the next eve- 
ning to join the South African Light Horse. I enjoyed 
talking to my host at Government House, since his long 
sojourn in Natal and his intimate knowledge of the 
people and the military situation gave particular in- 
terest to his conversation. I visited the hospitals and 
thought them admirably arranged. The Town Hall, a 
fine building, full of light and air with bright flowers 
decorating the tables, and soft-voiced sisters moving 
about, seemed an ideal ward. The four long rows of 
cots were full and the men liked talking about their 
wounds and adventures. The Fort Hospital, with its 
small detached cottages, was more suited to isolated 
cases; the officers' quarters looking particularly com- 
fortable with rooms opening on the veranda, where 
thick creepers hanging from the roof shaded them from 
the sun. Here I visited Colonel Long, who had been 
desperately wounded at Colenso. Notwithstanding the 
terrible nature of his wounds he received me with a pleas- 
ant smile. General Buller's scathing report on Long's 

428 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

precipitancy must be fresh in every one's memory. The 
press was full of it, and naturally the hospital authori- 
ties tried to keep the knowledge from the unfortunate 
officer. A well-meaning though foolish visitor, however, 
condoled with him, and he never rested until he had read 
the cruel message. Colonel Long spoke of it to me 
quite freely, saying in the bitterness of the moment that 
Buller never would have dared to censure him in such 
terms had he not thought that he was a dead man. 
Leaving him lying there in pain, with agonizing 
thoughts of what "might have been" and what was, I 
pondered as I went away on the chances and fortune of 
war, which in a few moments can mar the reputation of 
the man with a gallant record, and perhaps make 
famous the commonplace plodder who without an idea 
beyond routine may happen to be in luck. A telegram 
from the Maine j, announcing that some sick and wounded 
were arriving on the following day, hastened my depar- 
ture. I traveled back by day and enjoyed the lovely 
scenery between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The 
astonishing little railway twists in and out, round and 
about the ever-changing colored hills, making as many 
detours as the pretentious avenue of the millionaire 
whose palace you are allowed to see for miles before you 
arrive at its door. 

I found the ship's staff in a pleasurable state of ex- 
citement at the prospect of the work before them. In 
the afternoon an ambulance train arrived, bringing us 
eighty-five men. The British soldier is a fine fellow, 
as the many thousand instances of his courage and self- 
sacrifice on the field and in action testify. Out of his 
uniform he is a big child, and wants to be kept in order 

429 



REMINISCENCES OF 

and not too much spoiled. I am afraid we were inclined 
to do this. On the whole, I think it can only do good to 
give a man a higher ideal of cleanliness and comfort 
than he has ever had before. I had long and frequent 
talks with many of them. They delighted in giving 
their histories and experiences, and particularly the 
crowning one of how they received their wounds, which 
with the slightest encouragement they would show with 
great pride, as well as the extracted bullet, if they had 
one. 

I was amused by the letters which those unable to 
write dictated to me. They generally began, "Dear 
Father and Mother, I hope this finds you well as it 
leaves me." Then came a great scratching of heads and 
biting of fingers until I would suggest, to start them off 
again, a description of how they were wounded. "Won't 
you send your love to any one?" I asked. "Not out of 
the family" was my answer, with a reproving look. One 
very gallant Tommy, who lay with a patch over his eye, 
an inflamed cheek, and a broken arm, asked me to add 
to his letter, "The sister which is a- writing of this is very 
nice." The compliment was fully appreciated. A few 
days later we received ten officers and ninety men, mak- 
ing us fairly full. We were busy from morning to 
night. Indeed one never seemed to have a moment to 
write or read: the one difficulty on board ship at any 
time, and more particularly on a hospital-ship, is to be 
alone, and when alone to be able to concentrate. The' 
parties of sick and wounded men who came to us were 
drafted from the diff'erent hospitals of Frere, Estcourt, 
Mooi River and Pietermaritzburg. Apart from the 
surgical and operating cases, the treatment consisted 

430 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

principally of antiseptic dressing, electricity, and mas- 
sage, the use of the gymnasium apparatus giving excel- 
lent results. The crowds of interested visitors who 
flocked on board became at last a source of care and 
worry to us, and of annoyance to the patients. They 
meant so well, it seemed hard to turn them away, but for 
one tactful, bona fide visitor who had a friend to see, 
twenty idlers would career over the ship, asking innu- 
merable questions impeding the work. The practice, had 
to be stopped, and certain days and hours fixed. The 
other hospital-ship had to do the same. 

It may be interesting to describe how we worked our 
wards. To begin with, apart from the captain and 
ship's company, our medical staff was comprised of the 
commanding officer, five surgeons, one superintending sis- 
ter, four sisters, eleven male nurses, ten orderlies, and five 
non-commissioned officers. The personnel of each ward 
was composed of a head nurse, nurses, orderlies, stewards 
and night nurses according to the size of the ward and 
the number of beds in it. The surgeons did their dress- 
ings and duties in the morning, one of them being told 
off* daily as orderly medical officer, whose duty was to 
make a thorough inspection of everything, report any- 
thing not correct, and to hear complaints. The super- 
intending sister had charge of the head nurses, and was 
responsible for all patients according to the medical 
officers' instructions. The three stores— linen, personal 
equipment, and medical comforts, auxiliary to the nurs- 
ing department— were placed under the management 
of the superintending sister, and were respectively in 
the charge of a non-commissioned officer. These 
N.C.O.s proved most excellent men. The staff'-surgeoa 

431 



REMINISCENCES OF 

was employed as record clerk and acting sergeant- 
major. He had to keep the admission and discharge 
book, which showed the regiment or corps, regiment 
number, remarks, name of all patients, disease or disa- 
bility, date of admission or discharge, number of days 
under treatment, ward in which treated, religion and 
final destination. The medical care and nursing and 
innumerable comforts we had to give the patients, com- 
bined with the cool fresh air on the ship, brought so 
many of them round that we were able to discharge them 
fit for duty. These did not go to the front at once, but 
were sent to Pietermaritzburg or elsewhere to do light 
duty till quite recovered. 

It was astonishing how little the authorities were able 
to cope with the subject of clothing. At the front the 
men were nearly naked, their khaki hanging on them in 
shreds, the uniform being made of abominable stuff and 
having to be worn for perhaps five or six months. 
When one reflects on the thousands and thousands of 
pounds that were spent in clothing for the hospitals, 
not only by the Government, but by private persons, it 
seems incredible that the sick and wounded were al- 
lowed to leave one hospital to be drafted to another, or 
to a hospital-ship, in the tattered garments in which they 
were carried in from the battle-field. With my own 
eyes, I saw among a party of wounded who were being 
transferred from a tug to the Maine and another hos- 
pital-ship, the Nuhia, a man whose khaki trousers were 
conspicuous by their absence, a pocket-handkerchief 
being tied around one of his wounded legs. This man 
had probably been through several hospitals, each time 
sent off again in his rags. Surely a reserve of uniforms 

432 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

or ordinary clothing might have been kept for extreme 
cases such as this, and the principal medical officer al- 
lowed a little discretion in the matter. But when I dis- 
cussed this point with one of the authorities, he said it 
would be an impossibility. "You might as well have an 
office for recording the wishes and messages of the dy- 
ing." What a happy hunting-ground the red-tape fiend 
has in time of war ! He sits and gloats on all occasions. 
Think of a man in a hospital who, being on a full diet, 
suddenly develops fever, or some other complication 
needing an altered regime— say a milk diet— having to 
starve for twenty-four hours until the medical officer 
makes his rounds again and alters it! This was a fact. 
Incidents such as these made one admire the audacity 
of Major Brazier Creagh, a young and energetic ambu- 
lance officer, who, when remonstrated with for spending 
too much money in comforts, said his business was to 
bring the sick and wounded down safely, and give them 
everything which would further that end — "not to make 
accounts and count the cost." 

I was very anxious to go up to the front and visit the 
various hospitals on the way, and after many pour- 
parlers I received permission and a pass from General 
Wolfe Murray to go to Chieveley Camp. The Gov- 
ernor, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, was kind enough 
to lend me his own railway carriage. Provided with 
food, armed with kodaks and field-glasses, not to men- 
tion a brown holland dress (my substitute for khaki) in 
case we should meet the enemy and wish to remain in- 
visible, we started on our journey— Miss Warrender, 
Colonel Hensman, the commanding officer of the Maine, 
and myself, and, last but not least, the coxswain of the 

433 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Terrible J Porch by name. Captain Percy Scott intended 
taking us up, but as he was getting into the train a tele- 
gram was handed to him from General BuUer, asking 
for two guns to be sent up immediately. This meant 
forty-eight hours' incessant work to get them ready, the 
commandant's personal and active supervision, and the 
loss to us of a pleasant and instructive companion. The 
train was full of officers and men returning to the front. 
Although we were traveling at night I was kept awake 
by the thought that I was going to pass all those well- 
known and to me peculiarly interesting places, Mooi 
River, Estcourt, and Frere, scene of the armored-train 
disaster. 

We arrived at Estcourt in the middle of the night. I 
hung my head out and entered into a conversation with 
a friendly sergeant, who informed me that in a few 
moments he would have to call the railway staff offi- 
cer, whose duty it was to inspect the train and see that 
no suspects were in it, or travelers without passes. I 
plied the sergeant with questions. Had they caught 
many spies, and what happened to them? Several had 
been captured, and two nights before a young lady who 
had been seen for a few days riding in the vicinity of 
the camp, had been arrested and sent through to Durban 
as a spy. He was full of the generosity of the Tommies, 
who came down in the same trains with some wounded 
Boers, telling how they vied with each other in atten- 
tions to their sick foes, sharing their tobacco with them, 
and tying up their bandages. My new-found friend 
was waxing eloquent when suddenly the clock struck 
two, and he left me abruptly, disappearing inside the 
station. He came forth following a smart young officer, 

434 




HIS KXCHLL.HNCV, SIR WAI.TEK HKLV-Hl'TCHINSOX 
Governor of Natal in 1900 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

whose sleepy, dazed eyes showed that he had been hast- 
ily awakened. Every pass was then minutely examined, 
every face scanned, and I saw with keen interest two 
men dragged out of the next compartment, one a 
typical Boer, the other a small dark foreigner. Both 
were marched off —to what fate, one wonders! 

I was asleep when we reached Frere at 5 a.m. A vig- 
orous tap on the window awoke me. "Lady Randolph 
Churchill, are you there?" "Yes, very much so," I an- 
swered, as I dropped the shutter and put my head out, 
finding an officer of the Seaforth Highlanders on the 
platform. "I knew you were coming up, and thought 
you would like a cup of coffee," he said, "if you will 
accept the hospitality of my tin hut fifty yards from 
here," adding, "You won't get anything more for a 
long time." In my eagerness I was proceeding to jump 
down, when he remarked that I had no shoes on, and, 
with a glance at my disheveled locks, suggested a hat. 
As I walked to the hut, dawn was just breaking, — 
long orange-red streaks outlined the distant brown hills ; 
through the haze of dust showing on the sky-line trains 
of mule-carts were crawling along, and in the plain little 
groups of soldiers and horsemen were moving about, 
emerging from the tents. M}'^ host seated me on a stool 
in the tiny veranda, and gave me an excellent cup of 
coffee. He was so delighted to have some one to speak 
to that the words and questions came tumbling out. 
Waiting for no answer, in one breath he told me how 
he had been there for months, broiling, with heaps of 
uncongenial work to do, all responsibility and anxiety, 
and no excitement or danger. He lived in daily hopes 
of getting some fighting. Meanwhile "Some one has to 

437 



REMINISCENCES OF 

do the dirty work," and there it is! He showed me the 
hut, two cubicles opening on the veranda, one for the 
aide-de-camp with no bed, the other for the Colonel with 
a small camp stretcher. 

About twenty miles after leaving Frere we slowed 
down, and the friendly guard, knowing who I was, 
rushed to tell me we were passing the place of the ar- 
mored train disaster. Sure enough, there was the train, 
lying on its side, a mangled and battered thing, and 
within a few yards a grave with a cross — three sentries 
mounting guard — marking the place where the poor 
fellows killed in it were buried. 

At Chieveley we were met by General Barton and an 
aide-de-camp, who took us all over the camp. It was a 
wonderful sight. The weatherbeaten and in many cases 
haggard men, with soiled, worn uniforms hanging on 
their spare figures, the horses picketed in lines or singly, 
covered with canvas torn in strips to keep the flies off, 
the kliaki-painted guns, the ambulance wagons with 
their train of mules, and above all the dull booming of 
"Long Tom" made us realize that here was war! We 
sat down on the outskirts of the camp near a sham gun 
guarded by a middy from the Terrible. Here also I 
saw the gun which the bluejackets had named after me. 
Six miles off, through our glasses we could see Colenso 
and the enemy's camp, the white tents being those cap- 
tured from the British. The whole panorama spread out 
was a grand and thrilling sight. Major Stuart Wortley 
and Captain MacBean rode up and greeted us warmly, 
but they, like all the other officers, were terribly dejected 
at the news of the retreat from Spion Kop, so gloriously 
won and at such a sacrifice the night before. "They are 

438 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

actually on their way back to Spearman's Camp: what 
can it mean?" The whole camp was in a state of disgust 
and despair and "groused" to their heart's content. We 
were invited by the Seventh Fusiliers to have breakfast 
with them, which was none the less appetizing because 
served in tin mugs and pewter plates. The flies, however, 
were a terrible plague, covering everything in an instant, 
besides buzzing in one's face and hair. In the hope of 
hearing something of my sons, I asked General Barton 
to let me send a letter to Spearman's Camp. He kindly 
consented, and installed me in his little tent. I looked 
around with curiosity and interest at the General's quar- 
ters: a camp-stool, a washing-basin, a box — nothing 
more. Sitting on the camp-stool with my feet on a 
tin box, I was scribbling away,, when a rider galloped up, 
calling out in a cheery voice, "General! are you there?" 
His look of blank astonishment when he caught sight of 
me was most amusing. A woman in the camp, and in 
the General's tent ! I explained, and after a few laugh- 
ing remarks he rode off. This was General Thorald, 
who alas! poor man, was killed the following week. 
Major Stuart Wortley asked us to stay and dine, but I 
thought discretion was the better part of valor, and not 
wishing to abuse the General's kindness in letting us 
come up, we departed, wishing these brave men good 
luck and the speedy relief of Ladysmith. 

The return journey was fearfully hot. At Mooi 
River we had two hours to wait, and were met there by 
Colonel Stevenson, the remount officer, who had ar- 
ranged to show us his great horse farm where about 
2000 horses were at that moment resting before being 
sent to the front, hundreds of them having just arrived 

441 



REMINISCENCES OF 

from South America. What a fate ! To be penned up 
for days on a rolling ship, then crammed into an open 
truck under a blazing sun, to be taken out, stiff, sore and 
dazed, given two days' rest, and then sent up to the front 
only to be food for the Boer bullets. Poor things — so 
understanding — such good friends — the hardships they 
suffered, and the lingering death many had to undergo, 
was one of the most hideous features of the war. Colo- 
nel Stevenson had brought two Cape carts, with a capital 
pair of ponies in each, which galloped at full tilt along 
the hill road to the farm, some miles distant. A few 
weeks before, when the Boers were within thirty miles 
of Pietermaritzburg, the farm was in nightly danger of 
being raided, and it is surprising that it was not, consid- 
ering the prize to be hauled in. But for some reason 
best known to themselves the enemy kept off. On 
reaching our destination we found to our delight the 
most welcome shade, a small house buried in trees, tents 
agreeably dotted about under them, and horses every- 
where. Here a group was waiting to be examined; 
there a row were being lunged; further on some were 
rolling in the* dust, stretching their weary limbs in bliss- 
ful ignorance of the fate awaiting them. They could 
barely be given time to recover from their long journeys 
before they were hurried to the front. The demand was 
enormous, the cry for more, and the supply limited. In 
vain two continents were scoured to provide for the 
cavalry, its importance having been too tardily recog- 
nized. For months Colonel Stevenson had been living 
on the railway, rushing off to Durban to meet a con- 
signment from India, South Australia, America or Aus- 
tralia, supervising their debarkation, then flying back to 

442 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

despatch others to the front. Meanwhile time was press- 
ing. A hasty cup of tea and a gallop back to the train, 
and so to Durban and duty. 

On returning from Chieveley I found a telegram 
from my sister-in-law, Lady Sarah Wilson, who was in 
Maf eking. With considerable difficulty I had managed 
to get one to her. 

Received by runner from Mafeking. 

Feb. 27. 

Very grateful your wire. First direct news family received. 

All well here but bombardment continues daily. Health town 

fairly good. Rations strict but sufficient. We receive very 

scanty news. Please wire again. Congratulate you Winston's 

plucky escape. 

Sarah, 

(Mafeking) 

Life on board became a round of daily duties, varied 
only by excitement in regard to war news. It was in- 
teresting to distribute newspapers to the soldiers. They 
were so keen and eager in discussing every point. Even 
those who were bedridden and too ill to read would 
clutch you as you passed, "Any news? Ladysmith? 
Nothing? What, back again, Chieveley Camp? That 
BuUer 'e 's unlucky; better try another; and we wants 
to get to them poor chaps." I argued on the principle 
that perhaps the general hoped to reader pour mieucc 
sauter, but the heads would wag sagely. I had a large 
map framed and hung in one of the wards, and with 
much assiduity placed the flags according to the situa- 
tion; but daily the Union Jacks were made to fly at 
21 443 



REMINISCENCES OF 

Pretoria, Johannesburg, or Ladysmith, while the Boer 
flags were carefully stuck in the frame. One night the 
news of Cronje's surrender was signaled from the sta- 
tion. As soon as they were told of it a grand cheer went 
up from the men. Lights were flashed, messages helio- 
graphed from Captain Percy Scott's electric shutter on 
board the Terrible to all the ships in the harbor. The 
band played itself out, the men sang themselves hoarse, 
and at last after a bouquet of fireworks we went to bed. 
The next day Durban was en fete, the harbor dressed, 
and every one wreathed in smiles. We dined at the 
Royal Hotel to celebrate the event, finding there a mot- 
ley crowd, principally men in worn uniforms who had 
just come down from the front for a few days' needed 
rest, others just returning. There were scarcely any 
ladies, a few refugees or ofiicers' wives struggling to 
get up nearer to the front, all in the inevitable shirt, 
skirt, and sailor hat ; none of the glories of Cape Town 
here ! A few of those present were suspects and not al- 
lowed to leave Durban, having to report themselves to 
the commandant's office twice a week. He was dining 
with us, and seemed rather to enjoy the black looks cast 
on him, bowing with much unction to a formidable Boer 
lady, large in proportions and rasping as to tongue, with 
whom he had had a stormy interview that morning, she 
wanting and insisting on getting a pass to Delagoa Bay, 
and he refusing, knowing her to be a spy, who had given 
much information already. After dinner we sat in 
groups in a pleasant conservatory, getting into such 
heated discussions as to the progress of the war, and the 
merits and demerits of the generals, that we were in 
danger, like Cinderella, of forgetting the hour, and had 

444 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

to rush off in our jinrikishas for fear of being caught 
out after eleven o'clock, and marched off to prison ! 

As an evidence of the severity with which the press 
censorship was enforced, I may mention that I received 
a letter from General Barton from Chieveley Camp, 
which had been opened and the usual pink paper pasted 
on it: "Opened under Martial Law." I felt rather ag- 
grieved, but was told that during the three or four days 
in which everything coming from the front was opened, 
the movements of the British troops were kept entirely 
dark from the enemy. 

On the 29th came the news of the relief of Ladysmith, 
and the town went mad. A great demonstration was 
organized for the next day, opposite the Town Hall, 
under the queen's statue. The proceedings were brief, 
as the continuous cheering prevented any of the speak- 
ers from being heard, but we took for granted that they 
said all the right things. We had now been in the har- 
bor six weeks, and the authorities after the relief of 
Ladysmith, being anxious to free the various hospitals 
in Natal, to meet the pressure of the sick and wounded 
who were coming down, filled the Maine up with convales- 
cents, and ordered us to prepare for return to England. 

Before leaving I had the good luck to go up to Lady- 
smith, General BuUer kindly giving me a pass. It was 
no easy matter to get permission, as there was naturally 
a great struggle to get people down, only one hundred 
a day being taken, and every place counted. The rail- 
way was frightfully congested, and all the wounded had 
to be carried in litters across the Tugela at Colenso, on 
a bridge consisting of three planks. Miss Warrender 
and I, escorted by my son Winston and Captain Tharp 

445 



REMINISCENCES OF 

of the Rifle Brigade (one of our discharged patients), 
arrived at Colenso at 6 a.m., and after a breakfast of 
"bully beef," which I did not appreciate, crossed the 
bridge of planks. After viewing and kodaking the ter- 
rible scene of ruin and devastation, where among other 
horrors we saw the carcasses of Colonel Long's horses in 
front of the trenches, we got on a trolley pushed by na- 
tives, and left for Ladysmith. This was an excellent way 
of seeing everything, as the whole of the last two months' 
fighting had been along the line. One must see it all to 
realize the stupendous difficulties; the harsh impossible 
ground to get over, the gaining of it inch b}^ inch, the 
smallest mistake costing hundreds of lives. The masses of 
shell and bullets on either side of the line, the dead horses, 
and the newly made graves, testified to the fierceness of 
the struggle. At one point we crossed a small bridge built 
up with sandbags, over which the men had to run singly 
under a terrible fire from three kopjes. After two hours 
we came to an open plain glistening with the discarded 
food tins of the advancing army, and further on went 
through Intombi Camp, broiling in the blazing sun, a 
place of desolation and misery, and so on into Ladysmith. 
Blinding dust up to one's ankles, scorching sun, shut- 
up empty houses, an expression of resigned martyrdom 
on every one's face— such was my first impression of 
Ladysmith. Sitting on the top of our gripsacks on a 
Scotch cart drawn by mules, we drove through the town, 
presenting as we thought a strange appearance; but no 
one noticed us. We drove to the Convent, General Bul- 
ler's headquarters, where his aide-de-camp, Lord Gerard, 
received us. The building showed conspicuous signs of 
its bombardment. Sir Redvers invited Miss Warrender 

446 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

and myself to dine, and offered us beds, though he did 
not promise sheets! We accepted gratefully, having 
vainly tried to get a room, and the prospect of food had 
not appeared on the horizon. We visited the Tin Camp, 
turned into a hospital. It was wonderfully well-ar- 
ranged, considering the difficulties, but seemed a hopeless 
place to get well in. Lord Dundonald, who com- 
manded the South African Light Horse, lent us a spider 
and a wild horse which had never been in harness before, 
and driven by a sergeant we careered over rocks and 
dongas four miles to the camp of the Light Horse, 
where we had tea out of bottles and tin mugs. By this 
time I was too tired to take in any more, and the hazard- 
ous drive back in the semi-darkness quite finished me. 
Making a hasty and apologetic toilet we dined with 
the general in a tent commanding a fine view of the 
town. The dinner was good and the company better. 
Sir Red vers (who was in good spirits) was most inter- 
esting and pleasant. He told me that he expected one 
more big fight and that it would be the following week, 
if he could get his commissariat up, but that for the 
time being, the line was hopelessly blocked. 

While in Ladysmith besides the scathing criticisms I 
heard passed on the recent operations, some amusing 
stories and incidents were related. This message from 
the chief of the staff to the officer commanding 
CiEsar's Camp is worth recording : 

The General Officer commanding has left to visit you via 
Wagon Hill; he intends to resume former position as soon as 
dead and wounded are buried, but will strengthen Caesar's 
Camp by Rifle Brigade ! 

447 



REMINISCENCES OF 



programme 



SIEGE THEATRE OF VARIETIES, LADYSMITH 



SECOND GRAND PROMENADE CONCERT 

UNDER THE AUSPICES OF 

THE NAVAL VOLUNTEERS 
Tuesday, Dec. 25, 1899 

UKDER THE BOOMIKO PATRONAGE AND IN THE PRESENCE OF 

Silent Sue' 
'BulwanBill' 
'Pom-Pom' 
'Weary Willie' 

and others who since last concert— through circumstances over which 
they had no control— are unable to take any active part. 

Concert to commence at 7:45 p. m. Bunny Holes at 9:45 



448 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Some interesting mementos, including the follow- 
ing letters found on two dead Boers, and the program 
of a concert held on Christmas Day : 

(1) Translation of a letter from a Boer gunner 
found inside the breastwork on Gun Hill by the storm- 
ing party on December 7, 1899: 

My dear Sister, 

. . . It is a month & seven days since we besieged Ladysmith, 
& I do not know what will happen further. The English we see 
every day walking about the town & we are bombarding the 
town every day with our cannon. They have erected plenty of 
breastworks outside the town. It is very dangerous to attack 
the town. Near the town they have two naval guns from which 
we receive very heavy fire which we cannot stand. I think there 
will be much bloodshed as Mr. Englishman fights hard, & is 
well, & our burghers are a bit frightened. I would like to write 
more, but the sun is very hot, & still further the flies are so 
troublesome, that I don't get a chance of sitting still. 

Your affectionate Brother. 

(2) Extract from a Boer letter found in the trenches 
at Colenso: 

Don't forget to bring me a d . . . . d Englishman tied by the 
leg like a goat, in order that I may Jiave the pleasure of killing 
him myself. 

This from a daughter to her father — sweet child! 

I brought back various trophies — Pom-Poms, soft- 
nosed bullets with murderous slits ; a grain of Long Tom 
an inch square; Boer bandoliers; a Queen's chocolate 
box taken off a dead Boer; and last, but not least, the 
casing of a shell, fired at Chieveley by the gun named 

449 



REMINISCENCES OF 

after me, which the Bluejackets sent with this inscrip- 
tion: 

4.7 gun mounted in a railway truck by H.M.S. Terrible and 
christened the "Lady Randolph Churchill" Extract Chieveley: 
We took Lady Randolph Churchill down past Gun Hill to-day 
& opened fire on the low copj at 5,300 yards, the first named 
flushed a lot of Boers & the second (a lyddite) went right in 
among them, causing terrible havoc; the bluejackets would 
like to send the cartridge case to her ladyship. 

We returned next morning in the Red Cross train 
with the wounded, Major Brazier Creagh, the ambu- 
lance officer already mentioned, being in charge. We 
had a busy week in Durban before leaving. The Maine 
had a good send-off and the ships inside and outside the 
harbor cheered us vociferously. I was sorry to leave 
Durban, where every one had been so hospitable and 
kind to us, and so generous to our patients, but home 
meant much to all on board. Sir George White ^ came 
on board before we started, looking very ill after his 
hardships and anxieties. He was tremendously cheered 
by our men, who look upon him as a hero and a lovable 
man. 

Owing to the relief of Ladysmith the authorities were 
anxious to send home as many patients as possible in 
order to free the various hospitals in Natal to meet the 
pressure of the sick and wounded who were coming 
down. Six thousand had to be conveyed to England 
somehow. The five large hospital-ships lying in Durban 
Harbor were to be filled, and the Maine was asked to 
assist and return at once. This time it would have been 

1 Defender of Ladysmith, 

450 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

ungracious to refuse, although to do transport work was 
not the mission we had intended for the ship. On our 
return to Cape Town to our dismay the war authorities 
sent to say that the committee from London had cabled 
to the effect that the Maine was not to return, and there- 
fore all the sick and wounded were to be drafted to the 
different hospitals in Cape Town, and we were to remain 
to receive in time other cases. Great was the consterna- 
tion on board. The officers and men, with whom every 
berth was filled, thought that they were going home at 
once and were in despair at the prospect of being de- 
tained at Cape Town. Being certain that the commit- 
tee did not realize the situation, I flew on shore and 
bearded the Principal Medical Officer, telling him that I 
intended the Maine to leave at daybreak the next morn- 
ing, as previously arranged, and that I was cabling to 
the minister of war to back me up. Remonstrances 
were in vain, for before the day was out I received a 
welcome answer from Lord Lansdowne confirming me 
in my decision. 

Before leaving I paid a flying visit to Groote Schuur, 
unfortunately missing Mr. Cecil Rhodes, who had left 
that afternoon for England. But Colonel F. Rhodes 
was there, fresh from Ladysmith, a host in himself, 
whose praises could not be sung loud enough by all who 
were in the besieged city. His cablegram on Christmas 
Day to his brother Cecil in Kimberley was character- 
istic: "Happy Christmas! How thoroughly you have 
misunderstood the situation." 

I was too late to see the Portland Hospital, which I 
regretted, as I heard it was quite a model and had been 
doing wonders. I dined at the Mount Nelson Hotel, 

22 451 



REMINISCENCES OF 

where I must own to having been much astonished — the 
dresses, the babble of both men and women, were be- 
wildering, and seemed under the circumstances rather 
out of place, and a great contrast to the realities of Dur- 
ban. But too much has perhaps already been said about 
it, and it would be a pity, and I hope impossible, if the 
appearance and conduct of some inconscient and frivo- 
lous beings should efface the splendid and self-sacrific- 
ing work done by many noble women who deserve to be 
long remembered both in Natal and in Cape Colony. 

On our return journey, favored with delicious weather, 
the sick and wounded soon picked up. They used to sit 
within a few yards of my cabin singing and chattering 
all day about their destinations and plans. We stopped 
at St. Helena to get water, which we did in such primi- 
tive fashion that it took 48 hours instead of 24. But it 
gave us a chance of visiting the island. We had thought 
to find Cronje and his defeated army there, but they 
were still waiting at Cape Town for the arrival of the 
militia regiment from England deputed to guard 
them. St. Helena, with its bare rocks, looked formid- 
able and awe-inspiring as we approached. With diffi- 
culty I procured a conveyance, a high curricle which, 
from its antiquated appearance, must have done duty for 
Sir Hudson Lowe in 1820. With Eleanor Warrender 
I drove up to Longwood, taking two hours, as the road 
was rough and hilly and we could only go at a foot's 
pace. A long low wooden building on the top of a bleak 
mountain, without any vegetation, the sea the only hori- 
zon, this was where the great Napoleon lived for years 
and ended his days. What torture! I could not shake 
off the impression. "Think," I said, to some young 

452 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

officers with whom we had tea in the camp hard by, "of 
a man who has conquered the world ending his days in 
exile in this dreadful spot." "But I assure you," an- 
swered one of them, a rosy-cheeked young fellow of 
twenty, "we are no better off. There is absolutely noth- 
ing to do here, and I too find the scenery hideous." I 
ventured to remark that he was not Napoleon, but he 
did not see any difference, or why the others laughed. 
Deadwood Camp was pointed out to me, where the Boer 
prisoners were to be quartered. It was surrounded with 
barbed wire in imitation of the manner in which the 
English prisoners were kept in Pretoria. I visited Gov- 
ernment House, where Napoleon wanted to live, but was 
refused. The beauty of the grounds, which were culti- 
vated and abounded in beautiful trees and rare shrubs, 
was in marked contrast to the arid desolation of Long- 
wood. A pilgrimage to Napoleon's tomb brought our 
visit to a close. 

Stopping at Madeira, we had the misfortune to 
lose from acute phthisis one of our non-commissioned 
officers. Poor fellow, he had so hoped to live to see 
home and his wife and children, but the end came 
suddenly. He was buried on shore, the governor, the 
Marquis de Funchal, sending an A.D.C. to represent 
the garrison, many residents joining in the procession 
and sending beautiful flowers. Never having witnessed 
a military funeral before, I thought it very impressive, 
and the volley firing and the "Last Post" with its long- 
drawn unfinished note most pathetic. 

It can be imagined with what emotion we entered 
Southampton Water, all expecting to see relations and 
friends on the quay, as I had telegraphed the probable 

453 



REMINISCENCES OF 

hour of arrival. Unfortunately the telegram arrived 
too late, and the Committee and all those who were anx- 
ious to welcome us arrived an hour after the officers had 
more or less dispersed and the men been removed to 
Netley Hospital. So ended the first voyage of the 
Maine. Before leaving I received the following grati- 
fying letter: 

April 22, 1900. 
Dear Lady Randolph, 

We wish before we leave to express our sincere gratitude to 
the donors & committee of the American Hospital Ship 
Maine for their great generosity & kindness in sending the 
Maine to South Africa. It is impossible to express in a few 
words adequate thanks for all the comforts we have received on 
board, but we hope you will convey to the Committee, &, as 
far as possible, the donors, our heartfelt thanks for what they 
have done for us. Their goodness will be long remembered. 
We would also wish to express our extreme gratitude to you, 
and the staff of the Maine for all the kind care and attention 
we have received. We hope the next voyage of the ship will be 
as pleasant to you, as this one has been to all of us. 

Eric Streatfield, Capt. Gordon Highlanders. 

C. Blackburne Tew, 14th Yorkshire Regt. 

W. WiNGFiELD, 19th Hussars. 

R. T. Meiklejohn, 1st Royal Warwickshire Regt. 

H. R. Gunning, 1st Devonshire Regt. 

E. G. Caffin, Lieut. 19th (P. W. O.) Yorkshire Regt. 

A. S. Campbell, Lieut. 19th (P. W. O.) Hussars. 

H. Capel Cure, Major Gloster Regt. 

E. M. Gloster, Capt. 1st Devonshire Regt. 

J. S. Byrne, Lieut. 21st Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers. 

A. Wise, Lieut. 21st Connaught Rangers. 

M. Carbery, Lieut. 1st Royal Irish Fusihers. 

454 



si 




LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

Later at a meeting of the general committee of the 
Maine, I explained to their satisfaction my reasons for 
bringing the ship back, notwithstanding their cable. 

During the Maine's absence of four months Mrs. 
Adair, the Vice-Chairman, went to America in the in- 
terest of the Fund, and succeeded in enlisting the active 
cooperation of a nimiber of ladies in New York and 
elsewhere, who by their generous exertions materially 
aided us. Mrs. Ronalds, our indefatigable Treasurer, 
was able to give a good account of our budget and Lord 
Lansdowne wrote, "The Maine is doing great work for 
us; we cannot be too grateful to those who have con- 
tributed to the comfort of the sick and wounded." 
Queen Victoria also sent us a message through Princess 
Louise, Duchess of Argyll : 

Windsor, April 8, 1900. 
Dear Mrs. Ronalds, 

The Queen desires me to say that she is much gratified to 
hear what good work the Maine has been doing among the 
wounded in South Africa, and I am to express Her Majesty's 
great appreciation of this generous undertaking. The Queen 
trusts that the Maine is making a good and successful voyage 
home, and that she will be able to land her patients much bene- 
fited from the care they will have had on their homeward jour- 
ney. 

Yours very sincerely, 

Louise. 

The ship started on its second voyage to South Africa 
on the 3d of May, 1900, with everything organ- 
ized and settled, the outcome of the experience we had 
gained in the months of active work. After her re- 

457 



REMINISCENCES OF 

turn she was sent to Chinese waters (where hostiUties 
were just beginning), under the command of Major 
Meek, M.D., R.A.M.C., who proved the most excellent 
and conscientious officer. The committee wisely 
thought that, owing to the British and Americans hav- 
ing no hospital-ship, the Maine could be of greater use 
in China than in South Africa, where by that time the 
transport and care of the wounded had been organized 
on a very large scale. 

It would take too long here to give a detailed account 
of the Maine's doings in the Far East. Suffice it to say 
that during the China cruise twenty-one officers and 
333 men, irrespective of nationality, were treated on 
board during the five months of her stay. The British, 
American, and European forces having withdrawn from 
Tientsin, and Taku being frozen in as the winter came 
on, the committee ordered the vessel home, thinking 
that she had fulfilled her mission. 

In appreciation of her service I received among many 
others letters of thanks to the American Ladies' Com- 
mittee from the Hon. Elihu Root, American Secretary 
of War, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 
and Vice Admiral Seymour, giving official testimony 
to the gratitude in which he held her work. 

The War Department, 

Washington, Dec. 11, 1900. 
Dear Madam, 

I beg you to convey to the Ladies of the Executive Commit- 
tee of the American Hospital Ship Maine the thanks of the 
Army of the United States for the humane and effective service 

458 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

rendered by that ship in caring for wounded countrymen in 
China during the past summer. 

Faithfully yours, 

Elihu Root, 

Secretary of War. 

Admiralty, 14th Jan., 1901. 
Dear Madam, 

I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Ad- 
miralty to transmit for your information, herewith a copy of a 
letter . received from the Commander-in-Chief, China Station, 
relating to the American Hospital Ship Maine recently em- 
ployed on that station, and to express their Lordships' thanks 
and appreciation of the generous action of the American 
Ladies' Committee in thus placing their ship at the disposal of 
the sick and wounded in Chinese waters. 

I am. Madam, 

Your obedient servant, 

Evan MacGregor. 

Alacrity at Shanghai, 21st Dec, 1900. 

To the Secretary of the Admiralty, 

Sir, 

The Hospital Ship Maine being about to leave China for 
England, I cannot let the occasion pass without asking their 
Lordships to give expression to the gratitude which the officers 
and men of the China Squadron all feel towards the American 
ladies for their generosity and thoughtful kindness in en- 
deavouring to mitigate the suffering of the sick and wounded 
of all nations during the recent hostilities, by fitting up and 
maintaining that ship. The attention paid to the sick and 
wounded, and the arrangements made for their comforts on 

459 



REMINISCENCES OF 

board, must have greatly alleviated the hard lot of many who 
suffered, and have helped and hastened others on their road to 
recovery of health. This action of the American ladies cannot 
fail to have a good effect in helping to draw together the 
civilized nations of the world, especially their nation and ours. 
I have the honour to be. Sir, 

Your obedient servant, 

E. H. Seymour, 
(Vice Admiral). 

On her return from China the President of the At- 
lantic Transport Company, Mr. Bernard Baker, pre- 
sented the ship to the British Government, the Ladies' 
Committee giving all the hospital fittings and equip- 
ment. The ship had been in commission fifteen months, 
during which time the ship and crew were with great 
generosity provided by the Company. Mr. Baker was 
publicly thanked in both Houses of Parliament, and the 
Committee had a gold medal struck to commemorate the 
work of the MainCj, which was presented to the King. 
In accepting it his Majesty said that "the fact that it had 
been intended for his beloved mother made it specially 
valued and that the culminating present of the ship to 
the British Government he trusted would always remain 
as a lasting link of friendship between the two coun- 
tries." 

Thus ended a most successful enterprise which I think 
I may claim reflected the greatest credit on all con- 
cerned. As I am not writing the history of the A.H.S. 
Maine, it stands to reason that much has been left un- 
said, and that where all worked with such splendid zeal 
it would be invidious to single any one out. There may 

460 



LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL 

have been some mistakes, but on the whole it can but be 
a pleasant memory to those who participated in what 
may undoubtedly be called an historical episode. To 
me it was one of the most thrilling experiences of my 
life, certainly the most important public work I have 
ever tried to do. 

A few months later (July, 1900) I bade farewell to 
Lady Randolph Churchill, who then took the name of 
the chronicler of these Reminiscences. 

THE END 



463 



APPENDIX 



APPENDIX 

TRANSLATIONS OF FRENCH LETTERS 

Page 16 

ViEKNA, June 8, 1891. 
Dear Lady Randolph: 

I have just received a letter in which you express a desire to have the 
pantomime ballet "Puppenfee" performed in aid of a charitable society. 

I am greatly flattered that you should do so; for we are its authors. The 
"Puppenfee" was acted for the first time under our roof in the country in 
Bohemia. 

I shall ask the ballet-master at the Opera to send me the libretto contain- 
ing all the necessary notes and indications. So far as costumes are con- 
cerned, nothing could be simpler, for you are at liberty to choose whatever 
you want. Only — for the solo dances — it is necessary to provide Japanese, 
Spanish, Styrian or Tyrolese, and Chinese women, and a baby like the dolls 
that cry "Papa" and "Mama." In other respects, give rein to your fancy. 

The awakening of the dolls takes place at midnight when the shop is 
closed, so that when she is roused by the witches' Sabbath going on, the 
shop-woman enters, and then faints away from fright, after being swept 
along in the crazy rounds of the dolls come to life. When she revives from 
her swoon, she finds everything once more in perfect order and all the dolls 
absolutely motionless. 

Then it is that the shop-woman steps to the footlights and in dumb show 
gives the spectators to understand that evidently she has been the victim of a 
dream. 

As you perceive, the plan is very simple, and no great imagination was 
required to invent it. 

Accept, dear Lady Randolph, assurances of my best and most affectionate 
regards. 

P. Metternich. 



Page S3 

OsTEND, Oct. 21, 1870. 
My Dear Duke: 

I arrived in Ostend four days ago, and found your address at our mutual 
friends', the Dureaus. 

Since our separation on the 7th I have remained in Belgium, and should 
have asked for news of you during that time if I had known where to 
send a letter. I now seize eagerly the opportunity which is offered me 
through meeting the excellent prefect of Orleans, to have a few moments' 
chat with you. 

Being threatened with arrest on September 4, I departed that evening, and 

467 



APPENDIX 

sought refuge first at Namur where twenty-four hours later I was joined by 
my wife and daughters. 

My chief aim in journeying to Namur was to be near Sedan, that I might 
learn the fate of my son, for whom I had great anxiety. After several days 
of inquiry, I at last learned that my son, after having been wounded at 
Sedan (a horse having been killed under him), was a prisoner at Cologne, as 
he would not accept for himself the capitulation. 

I left Namur for Spa, and a sojourn there not being very comfortable in 
the winter, I established myself at Ostend, where I await events, the issue of 
which I cannot foresee. 

How I wish, my dear Duke, that my pen were clever enough to convey to 
you all the impressions I have received since the fatal Sedan. I have come 
to the point of asking myself how a disaster of such dimensions could be 
produced without the principal author of this lugubrious drama being buried 
under the corpses of his army. 

I had thought that it was easier to die than to suffer dishonor. 

The death of the Emperor at Sedan would have saved France, as well as 
his son ; the capitulation has lost everything. 

Now that France has become the prey of foreign and domestic Vandals, 
how can this desolation of our unhappy country be brought to an end ! 

Unless there should be a general war creating a division in Prussian poli- 
tics, I do not see to what side we can turn. England appears to have 
abandoned us, and however the circumstances which cemented our alliance 
of 18,56 might be reproduced for her, even then she could not count on our 
help, we have fallen so low ! 

I had offered my services to the government of the National defence, but 
I withdrew my offer as soon as I saw the government, to the eternal shame 
of France, call a Garibaldi to defend her. 

On the other hand, accusations of treason reach all the generals who have 
served the Empire, and I am not willing to have my name bandied among 
all these ignominies. 

Adieu, my dear Duke. If you will be so good as to send me news of your- 
self, ray family and I will be happy indeed . . . for our hearts are full of 
gratitude. 

Ever yours, 

GENERAL DE PaLIKAO. 



Tag^ S5 

WiLHELMSHOHE, Jan. 7, 1871. 
My Dear Persigny: 

I have received your letter of the first of January, and thank you for the 
prayers you offer for a better future. Without desiring to enter into a dis- 
cussion of the ideas you express, I will say to you that nothing good can 
come from the confusion which is the result of individual efforts, made 
without discretion, and without authority. In fact I find it somewhat sin- 
gular that any one should busy himself with the future of my son, without 
taking account of my own intentions. 

I know you have written to M. de Bismarck, who naturally has demanded 
of me if you have done so with my authority and in full accord with me. 
I have answered him that I have authorized nobody to busy himself with my 
interests, and those of my son, without first obtaining my consent. 

Believe, my dear Persigny, in my friendship. 

Napoueok. 

468 



APPENDIX 

Page 198 
Sheen House, 

East Sheen, Surrey, July 25, '8 



My Dear Lady Randolph: 



You have been so kind as to interest yourself somewhat in our attempts 
at a league in F'rance, and I take the liberty of sending you the two cir- 
culars which we shall have printed and distributed in a few days. I hope 
you will read them indulgently, and keep them, so that, if we should in time 
attain to happy results, we shall be able later to talk them over together. 
You know that it is jou who first gave me the idea of doing something simi- 
lar in France, and so I think of you always in this great undertaking, and 
already I owe to you, even before beginning, the firm faith I have that we 
shall succeed by following your example. 

The Rose League will never be the equal of the Primrose League; but per- 
haps they may meet often in the future. 

If I have not mentioned the Primrose League in the circular, it is solely 
because I have not dared compare the immense success of the first flower 
with the modest beginnings of the second; but in private letters, and in 
speaking to all those who are willing to work with me, I have always men- 
tioned it, in order to give every one the same idea: to succeed as you have. 

Forgive me for my ambition, and believe me, until I shall have the pleasure 
of meeting you again. 

Yours very aflfectionately, 

Isabelle, Comtesse de Paris. 



Page Wl 
Sheen House, 

East Sheen, Surrey, October 7, 1888. 
My^ Dear Lady Randolph: 

I do not know whether you are in London, but I send you a line there to 
say that I received last night a number of the "Primrose League Gazette," 
with a very kind article on the Rose League. I want to thank you for send- 
ing it, and for the article, for I feel quite sure that you had a very great part 
in it. If I am wrong pray express my thanks to the author. The Primrose 
League is indeed kind to welcome so cordially its younger sister— the Rose 
League. 

I sent you, day before yesterday, a number of the "Soleil," so that you 
might see our new paper in its entirety. You doubtless recognized certain 
phrases, and I hope you will approve of what I have done; I have, I think, 
followed your advice. I hear good reports from every side; it appears that 
the Rose is progressing excellently; I hope this enthusiasm will continue, and 
it will be to you, above all, that we shall owe our success. 

I hope soon to have the pleasure of seeing you again ; and in the meantime 
pray believe me 

Yours very affectionately, 

Isabelle, Comtesse de Paris. 

469 



APPENDIX 

Page 247 

Chesham House, 

Chesham Place, S. W,, October 31, 1903. 
Deae Madame akd Friend: 

Here is the very old face of a very old man who is half-dead but who 
likes you very much. 

Do not receive it too unkindly. 

Sincerely yours, 

Staal. 



Page 210 
Dear Madame: 

For a long while I have been wishing to write to you. Will this letter 
reach you? I shall not know unless you will kindly send me a few words 
to say you have received it. I have nothing good to tell you of myself. 
After having devoted myself body and soul to my son, he has played me the 
trick of marrying a perfectly impossible woman who is fourteen years older 
than himself, — to the great scandal of the country and the whole of Europe. 

I am not willing to accept the situation and here I am, high and dry not 
knowing what I shall do. Pardon me for speaking of these matters to you, 
but in my old age, and with my hair nearer white than gray, it is too hard. 
I have deserved better than this. 

Milan. 



Page 272 

My life is saddened by the difficulty of writing "A Tragic Idyll." It 
is a beautiful subject on which I should write you 20 pages. With patience 
I will come to the end of it — but it is terribly hard. Arrived at a certain 
point in life, one knows too much of it, wishes to do too much, and is not 
able to express what one has to say. Do you know that Tourgueniew has 
summed it all up when he said "Life is a brutal affair ." 



470 



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